


Going Home

by pharmtechgirl71



Category: Dark Harbor (1998), The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Blackmail, Broken Hearts, Daryl and Young man are relationship virgins, M/M, New Relationship, Rape/Non-con Elements, They honestly don't know what their doing, duh - Freeform, of course there's smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-11
Updated: 2016-06-17
Packaged: 2018-06-07 19:30:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 14
Words: 27,554
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6821146
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pharmtechgirl71/pseuds/pharmtechgirl71
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Young Man misses Daryl and returns to him in hopes of finding happiness for once in his life.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Regret

**Author's Note:**

  * For [FlandusLover1](https://archiveofourown.org/users/FlandusLover1/gifts).



> This is a sequel to Just One Night; installment #11 of the 357 Daryl Jerkin' It Drive series. It continues where the two shot left off. I suggest you read that first to fully understand where this is going.  
> This is for my sweetheart, FlandusLover1, who very nicely begged for more of these two. Here ya go sweetie; I hope you like it.  
> Let me know what you think!

Chapter One- Regret

 

The young man's eyes opened slowly and he was immediately plunged into darkness. He was hungover and coming down, and was confused to where he was. He was on his back, that was certain, and whatever he was lying on was soft. He reached his hand out and felt soft flesh and heard a soft moan as he moved his hand over dips and curves. The body next to his shifted and he felt a hand on his chest, nails gently running down the length of his torso. "You ready to go again baby?" a soft, sultry voice said in the dark. The previous night came rushing back into his memory. He had taken the woman back to his seedy motel room and fucked her raw. He had been drunk and high, but that was what it took these days for him to get the job done. 

"No," he said, his voice graveled and harsh. "It's time for you to leave."

The woman's hand continued to move south until she held his dick in her hand. "Are you sure? Because I don't think we're finished here just yet. There are so many things I want to do with you."

He removed her hand and sat up, dangling his legs over the side of the bed. "There isn't anything I want to do with you. Get dressed and go wherever it is you go."

The woman threw the sheets off and angrily snatched her clothes from the floor. "You're a dick, you know that? You're making a mistake; I'm the best you'll ever have. I can do a lot for you."

"I'm sure you could," he responded as he stood and gathered his own clothes, "but I imagine I would have to be in your bed for that to happen and I'm not willing to do that for any amount of money. Besides, I don't think your fiancé would like it if you spent all his money on me, would he?" She picked up an ugly sculpture of a monkey and threw it at him, missing by a mile and shattering against the wall behind him.

"I better not see you around here ever again; if I do, you will spend the rest of your life in jail. I will make up one hell of a story that anyone who looked at you would believe." She yanked her purse from the table and stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind her. 

The young man sat on the edge of the bed for a while; his head pounding and his hands shaking. This had never happened before; he had done so many horrible things for money, affection, and material possessions. He had slept with strange men and women; he had even killed when it benefitted him, but he was done. The thought of fucking anyone that wasn't Daryl made him ill. He still thought of the man every day and night. When he was fucking, or being fucked; sucking or being sucked, it didn't matter if it was a man or a woman, he saw Daryl's face and heard Daryl's voice. 

He stood from the bed and finished getting dressed, forgoing a shower because he wanted to get the fuck out of this place as fast as he could. He grabbed his duffle bag from the floor, and before he walked out, he went over to the video recording device he had hidden in the fake plant on the table and removed the flash drive. After dropping the drive in a night deposit box and retrieving a manila envelope from inside, he walked to the bus station and bought a ticket to Georgia.

**************************************************************************************************************************************

Daryl was in a foul mood again today; same mood he had been in for the last three months. He hadn't expected the young man who took his virginity to be beside him the next morning when he woke up, but that didn't make it hurt any less. He tried to be rational and logical about the whole thing, but his damn emotions wouldn't let him. He missed the young man more than he missed his own brother and had jerked off to the memory of that night so many times that he thought he had actually gone blind at one point. He cried himself to sleep, he cried in the shower; he mourned the loss of something he had barely gotten to touch. Daryl often wondered if he would have been better off never allowing it to happen, but he also wondered if he would have regretted not letting it happen more. 

There were only three employees who worked at the Baisden Brothers Salvage Yard; Daryl, Oscar, and Axel. The owner, Dale, only came around every two weeks to deliver paychecks. Today all three of them were outside; someone had abandoned an old RV and they were stripping it for parts. "I'm going to Lucky's for lunch. You want me to bring you back something?" Axel asked Daryl.

"No thanks man. I'm not hungry," he replied and pulled out the engine.

"We haven't seen you eat in months. Are you okay?" Oscar asked him.

"I'm fucking fine; just leave me the hell alone." Daryl pulled the ever present red rag from his back pocket and wiped his sweaty face before turning on his heels and going into the office. 

**************************************************************************************************************************************

When lunchtime arrived, Daryl made a beeline to his truck, where he always spent his break. It was Wednesday and Merle's day off, and Daryl always called his brother on his day off; he answered on the second ring. "Hey baby brother! How are ya?"

"Doing fine Merle. How are you?"

"Making money and meeting honeys, as always. Speaking of which, you meet anyone yet?"

"As a matter of fact, I did."

"Woah, woah, woah. You met a woman? Where? How long this been going on? You get any yet?" Merle bombarded him with questions.

"First off, I met her at Lucky's; she's the new waitress. Axel and I go to lunch there a couple times a week and he introduced us. I only met her two days ago; we haven't even gone out yet, much less fucked." Daryl had never lied to Merle before, not directly anyway. Lies of omission didn't count.

"Holy shit and hallelujah! You treat her like a lady, you understand? I don't want you to fuck this up because you’re ignorant to the ways of love."

"Shut the fuck up Merle. I know how to be a gentleman; not from watching you though." Daryl laughed into the phone.

"Women love me baby brother; it's the Dixon charm. I guess you have it too; you're just a late bloomer. I was afraid it had skipped you."

"You’re a fucking riot Merle. Listen, I gotta get back to work. I'll talk to you this weekend."

"Hey! Wait a minute; I got something to tell ya. I'm getting a week off in three months and I'm coming home to see ya."

"Fuck that's good news. I can't wait to see you. Cabin's too damn quiet without your big mouth." Daryl said, laughing.

"Enjoy the silence brother; it'll be gone soon enough."


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daryl and Young Man are reunited.

The young man stepped off the bus and stretched his whole body. He yawned and stumbled to the rear of the vehicle to get his bag and sat at the same bench he laid on three months ago when he first saw Daryl. He looked over at the bench that Daryl had been sitting on with his brother; the place where he found the only thing that had ever given him a feeling of self-worth. 

He was anxious as hell about seeing the man again. He was positive that Daryl wouldn't want to see him and would send him packing, but he had never felt as good as he did that one night he spent with him and had to give this a try. The young man wondered if Daryl would even recognize him; maybe he had found someone and was in a relationship. It would break his heart if that were true. If Daryl didn't want him, he didn't know what he would do. The only thing he knew for certain was that he would never be able to go back to his old life again.

The young man laid on the bench for an hour before he got the nerve to complete his journey and hailing a cab he set off for the cabin in the woods. He enjoyed seeing the familiar sights as the cab drove through the small town, but felt a little nauseous when the woods came into view. The cab came to a halt at the same spot it had before and he climbed out, handing the driver money from the manila envelope. He walked slowly through the woods, keeping his eyes open for Daryl's traps; although it was a fond memory now, he did not want another snare in his leg. The cabin appeared in the distance and his heart jumped; his pace quickened and soon he was standing at the front door. He knocked three times, but no one answered. He hadn't thought about Daryl having a job, but assumed that's where he might be. He looked at his phone and saw that it was noon; he had a long wait ahead of him for Daryl to get home, so he lay on the porch swing and took a nap.

**********************************************************************************************************************************************************

Daryl was ready for this day to be over. He understood that Oscar and Axel were worried about him; he hadn't been easy to work with lately, but their constant concern was driving him nuts. He breathed a sigh of relief when he got in his truck to go home, although home held no happiness for him either. He cranked up the air in the cab and let his tires squeal as he pulled out of the parking lot. He was getting hungry, but didn't want to cook anything. He hadn't had venison since that night, and had been surviving on burgers and pizza for the most part.   
Tonight he was stopping at Rhee's Pizzeria for a large pepperoni and mushroom with onion and green peppers; his favorite. 

Glenn Rhee greeted him as he walked into the shop. "Hey Daryl! How's it going?"

"Eh, it's going," Daryl replied. "Can I get my regular and some of those cheese breadsticks?"

"Sure, you want a two liter with it?" Glenn asked as he went to the back to start Daryl's order.

"No thanks, I'm gonna stop and pick up a couple six packs. I need something more than Pepsi tonight."

Glenn put the pizza in the oven and came back around the counter. "Are you okay Daryl? I don't want to pry or stick my nose where it doesn't belong, but you've been eating a lot of pizza lately. Are you not cooking anymore?"

Daryl sat on at one of the empty tabletops. "No, not lately. Since Merle's been gone don't see the use in it. When I make stew, there's enough for at least five or six people; that would just be a waste."

Glenn laughed. "That's not a problem Daryl. Make your stew and bring me the leftovers; I can sell the stew right here. You know it's the best; we could make good money on the side. I'll split the profit with you 50/50. What do you say?"

Daryl smirked. "You know every damn dime would be profit. I don't pay for the deer I kill and I get my veggies from your wife's damn farm. But, I'll think about it; might help me kill some time, and get me out hunting more often. I need to get my mind off things."

"Hey, if you want to talk about anything, you know you can come to me, right? We've known each other since you and Merle moved here. I understand what it's like to be away from your family. It took me a couple years to get over my homesickness; I'm sure Merle misses you just as much as you miss him." The timer buzzed and Glenn went to the back, putting Daryl's dinner in the box and grabbing a bag of cheesy bread. "Here ya go. Enjoy, and think about it Daryl. We could be partners." 

"I will Glenn, thanks." He sat the box and bag in the passenger's seat of the truck and drove to the gas station to buy his beer. When he pulled up in front of the cabin, he carried the pizza in one hand, one six pack in the other and one six pack under his arm. He was focused on not dropping anything and didn't notice the young man in his swing. He sat the food and beer on the wooden slats of the porch to unlock the door and heard light snoring coming from behind him. He didn't have his crossbow or his knife on him and turned around slowly to see a very familiar figure sleeping in his swing. 

He took a deep breath, but didn’t release it. This had to be a hallucination, or a dream. The young man looked beautiful and peaceful, and Daryl stepped closer, squatting directly in front of the swing. He wanted to reach out and touch him, but was afraid the image would disappear in the wind. The young man shifted in his sleep causing the chains to squeak. Daryl moved back a little, hoping he hadn't disturbed the sleeping angel, but when his eyes fluttered open, the older man was grateful to see them again.

"Daryl, your home; I missed you so much," he said groggily and sat up.

"What are you doing here?" Daryl asked, dumbfounded by fact that what he saw was real.

"I missed you, and haven't been able to stop thinking about you. I needed to see you again, and hoped you'd want to see me too." He leaned forward and pulled Daryl into his arms. The sensation was incredible and he knew he had made the right decision in coming back. He released the man and looked into his eyes; still that beautiful shade of blue that haunted his dreams. Leaning forward he touched his lips to Daryl's, but the other man didn't respond to him.

"Pizza's gonna get cold," Daryl said and stood, picking up the boxes and walking into the house.


	3. Chapter 3-  The Truth and Nothing But the Truth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Confessions

The young man slung his pack onto his back and picked up the two, six packs before waking inside. Daryl wasn't paying attention to him and he was beginning to doubt the decision he had been so sure of earlier. "Daryl, talk to me; listen to me. I came back because I realized that the only time I'm ever felt good about myself, the only time I've ever thought I wasn't worthless was the night I spent here with you. I can't live that life anymore; the one that brought me here in the first place. I want to be happy with you." Daryl continued to work in the kitchen; he brought out two plates and grabbed two beers and sat them on the table.

"You want some you better sit down. I can eat a whole pie by myself and these six packs were gonna get me through the night. Don't wait till they're gone." Daryl said and shoved almost a whole piece of pizza in his mouth. The young man just stared at him. 

"Maybe I should leave. You don't want me here." He grabbed his bag and moved toward the door.

"Wait!" Daryl shouted. "I don't want you to leave, but you left before and I don't think I could take that again. I know you told me it would only be for one night, and I thought I would be okay with that, but I wasn't. All you left me was a note. I hoped to see your face when you said goodbye; maybe have one more kiss? I've been miserable since you left. My brother moved away and I found you in the same day; then I lose you too. It was too much."

The young man stopped in his tracks and watched Daryl's face as he spoke. He had seen that same look reflecting back at him many times in the past three months. He put his bag back on the floor and sat down at the table. "I left the note because I was scared; you deserve better than me. I've always been alone; I've been on my own since I was fourteen. I've hustled, whored myself out, and taken a lot of things that weren't mine to take. Being with someone when I didn't have an agenda, when I didn't have anything to gain was something I had never experienced before. It felt good; I didn't know how to process that. I wasn't sure if I could make a life like that; make you happy, I mean. You took me into your home when I was injured and you helped me heal. No one has ever done anything for me. No one has ever made me a priority. I guess that went to my head. I've been thinking about you a lot; been dreaming about you. I just wanted to see you again; I want to try to have a life with you. If you want that too."

Daryl listened to the young man speak. Those were the words he had wanted to hear all along. "I'm what you want? Are you sure? I'm not much to have; I don't have anything to give you."

"I don't want anything from you except you. I don't need anything else." The young man hesitantly reached out and cupped Daryl's cheek. "Please, I can't go back to the way things were. I was miserable knowing that there is something better for me out there and I let it go." 

Daryl pressed his cheek into the young man's palm. "If you think you can live with me and love me, I want this." He kissed the young man's palm. "You told me that it was only for one night, and I thought I could accept that, but I hoped you would still be lying next to me when I woke up."

"It was so hard for me to leave. Usually I get the hell out as soon as I can; I've never wanted to stay until you, and I regret that I left."

"I understand why you did though, but I didn't expect it to feel so good. You were the first man to ever touch me, ya know." Daryl said, matter of factly.

"I do know, and would like to be the only man who ever touches you, if it's not too late for that," the young man said and scooted his chair closer to Daryl's. 

"It's not too late. I haven't been with anyone since you; couldn't stand the thought of it." The young man leaned in and kissed Daryl chastely on the lips.

"Good, because you're the last person I ever want to be with." They kiss again, this kiss more passionate than the last. They stand together, their hands around each other; Daryl walks them into the living room and removes the young man's shirt and then his own, pushing the other man to sit on the couch. He straddles the young man and their hands on all over each other in a frenzy; caressing skin and tweaking nipples. Their lips and tongues, licking and sucking every inch of available surface, while their hips rocked into each other. "I fucking missed you so much," the young man whispered breathlessly onto Daryl's hot skin.

"Fuck, I dreamed about you every night. I prayed every day that you would come back to me." Daryl replied just as breathlessly.

The young man pulled away and looked at Daryl longingly. "I'm back, and I'm never leaving again."


	4. Chapter 4- Adjustment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Young man spends a day alone at Daryl's cabin, dreaming about his future. Daryl takes him shopping.

Chapter Four

 

The next morning, Daryl woke up in a very uncomfortable position. He had never fallen asleep on top of someone before, much less in a sitting position on top of someone else. The poor men had fallen asleep together on the couch; Daryl still straddling the young man. Daryl felt him stir beneath him and felt a hand run down his back. "Good morning beautiful," he said to Daryl in a sleepy voice.

"Good morning to you too precious," Daryl replied, yawning.

The young man smiled brightly, his eyes shining in the sunlight streaming through the blinds. "No one's ever called me that before." 

"That's your new name. You're very precious to me, and I won't lose you again." Daryl said and attempted to climb off the man and stand up.

"You're right, you won't." He stood up and kissed the other man gently. "So, leftover pizza for breakfast?"

"Hell no! I thought you could make some more of those pancakes you made before you left. They were amazing. Can you cook other stuff too?"

The young man smiled. "Yeah, I can, but I know you can too; I'm not doing all the cooking around here."

"Only thing I can make is stew and jerky. A person can only take that for so long. Maybe you could give me some cooking lessons in exchange for hunting lessens?"

The young man stepped up behind Daryl and wrapped his arms around his waist, kissing his neck softly. "I'll teach you anything you want to know, and I will take any excuse to get you out in the woods alone."

Daryl leaned back into the man's embrace. "I don't need any excuse to drag you out into the woods and have my way with you." He reached behind him and held his long lost lover's head to keep the man's lips against his skin. 

"Do you have to go to work today?" Young man asked between kisses. 

"Yes, dammit."

"Okay, go take your shower and get dressed. There'll be pancakes and bacon on the table when you get back." He gave Daryl a peck on the lips and shooed him away. It occurred to him that he would be spending the day alone in Daryl's house; he thought he would clean the place up a bit, not that it needed it that badly, but he wanted to be of some use to the other man. He would need to find a job soon too; he would ask Daryl to help him with that. 

Daryl walked back into the kitchen as the young man was putting breakfast on the table; the toast popped up and the coffee had finished brewing at the same time. Daryl was salivating from the smell alone, and by the time he sat down, he dug in like he hadn't eaten in weeks. "You weren't kidding, were you?" the young man said as he sat down next to Daryl. "You really like my cooking, huh."

Daryl smiled with a mouthful of pancakes. "Uh huh, but there are other things I like better." he replied. 

Young man smiled back and stuffed his mouth full of bacon and toast. "Daryl, can I ask you something?"

"Of course. Anything."

"I've never been in a real relationship before and I really don't know what to do, or what not to do. I don't want to do anything wrong, so your gonna have to help me. Where does this go from here? Am I gonna be living here with you, or what's supposed to happen?"

Daryl swallowed his food and washed it down with his coffee. "Hell, I don't know either. I'd love it if you lived with me, if that's what you want, but I don't know what to do either. Fuck, I only got my cherry popped three months ago, never been in a relationship either. Guess we'll figure it out as we go, and do a lot of forgiving." He took his plate to the sink and grabbed his keys. "I wish I didn't have to go; don't want to leave you here alone."

The young man stood up and took Daryl in his arms. "I'll be right here when you get home. I'll have dinner ready and we can spend the entire night making love. How does that sound?"

"Sounds like I'm not getting a lot of work done today, precious." The young man smiled as Daryl kissed him soundly. As he walked through the door, he stopped and turned around. "Don't worry about dinner. I'm taking you shopping when I get home. You need some clothes and stuff; we'll get something while we're out."

**********************************************************************************************************************************************************

After he finished his breakfast, the young man washed the dishes and swept the kitchen floor. He milled around the small cabin to see what else he could do to help Daryl out. The bathroom would need to be cleaned; Daryl left it a mess with clothes on the floor and hair in the sink from shaving. He quickly got to work and had it all done within an hour. He sat on the couch and flipped through the tv stations; the only thing on at that time in the morning was news or talk shows, and that did not interest him in the least. Grabbing the spare key Daryl had left on the coffee table, the young man decided to take a walk. 

He tried to stay as close to the cabin as he could; if he got lost Daryl would never find him. Which reminded him that he would also need to buy a cellphone. He stayed close to the tree line and soon found himself in the same spot Daryl had found him in the day they met. He looked around carefully, but did not see any traps. He sat on the ground and looked at the beauty around him; the tall trees, the green bushes and the singing birds. For all the places he'd been, he had never found a place more peaceful than this. He clearly remembered his last adventure in these woods and smiled fondly. He hadn't intended to be caught in Daryl's rabbit trap, but it brought the lonely hunter to him and he believes that was the moment he fell in love with the man.

When he returned to the cabin it was early afternoon and he desperately needed a shower. He took his duffle bag into Daryl's room and sorted through it; most of his clothes were old and worn. In his life, he had been lucky enough to find that when someone wanted to keep you around, for any reason really, they would give you things hoping to buy your time. He had allowed more than a few older, wealthy women to buy him clothes, even older, wealthy men. They wanted to show him off; prove to their friends and social peers that they were worthy of a young, handsome man such as himself. He slept with them and took their gifts, and did any dirty work they needed done; and all he had left from those experiences were some pretentious designer clothes that he hadn't worn since. 

Looking through Daryl's closet, he found a nice sleeveless, button down flannel shirt, then took a pair of jeans and boxers from the man's dresser drawers and went to the bathroom. He looked in the mirror as he let the water warm up; in just one day, he could see a difference in his own countenance. His eyes were brighter and his cheeks held more color. Daryl had been able to change his outward appearance so easily and in no time at all. This must be what happiness and love does to a person, he thought.

He stood under the shower head letting the warm water cascade down his body. He couldn't wait for Daryl to get home; now that they were living together, he would have to adjust to domestic life, but he looked forward to it more than he had anything else. Until he was able to find a job, he would take care of the house like a little wife; Daryl's little wife. He imagined Daryl coming home after a hard day at work, exhausted and starving. He would have dinner on the table and they would eat together and talk about their day. He lathered up his hands and started running them all over his body, washing away the dirt and sweat from his walk. His thoughts continued and he could see himself washing the dinner dishes when Daryl would come up behind him and wrap the young man in his arms. He would kiss the young man's neck and dig his fingers into his hips as he rocked his hard dick into the crack of the other man’s blue jeans. They would soon be breathless and shedding their clothes. His soapy hand went to his erection and he stroked himself to his fantasy. 

He imagined Daryl bending him over the sink and running his hard, callused hands over his body. The speed of his hand increased and he placed his other one on the shower wall for support. Daryl would wet his fingers from the tap and stretch him out until he was ready to receive, and when the young man felt his older lover breech his needy hole he would move himself back onto him harder. He could hear Daryl's voice calling him precious and telling him how beautiful and tight he was; how much he loved him and would never let him go. 

His orgasm came fast and hard over his hand and onto the tile wall; his body went limp and he could barely hold himself up. He moved back under the water spray and rinsed himself off, snatched the towel, wrapped it around his waist, and took Daryl's clothes back to the bedroom. 

**********************************************************************************************************************************************************

Oscar and Axel were looking at him like he had three heads; ever since he walked into the office, they had been smiling at him like they had a secret. "Morning Daryl," they said together. 

"Uh, morning? You guys alright? Get laid last night or something?" Daryl responded. He went about his morning routine ignoring their strange looks.

"Us? No, but you look like you did." Axel said and he and Oscar giggled like school girls. 

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Daryl said and turned his head away from them to hide his smile and his blushing cheeks. Oscar got up from where he was sitting and slapped Daryl on the back.

"Well, something happened; I haven't seen you smile like that in . . . forever. Glenn put extra meat on your pizza last night?"

Daryl hummed to himself. "Yeah, extra meat. Let's go with that." He said and went out to the yard.

At lunchtime, Axel asked Daryl if he wanted to go to Lucky's for lunch, and surprisingly enough, Daryl accepted the invitation; he even drove. His two co-workers hadn't let up on trying to find out what had put the blinding smile on his face, so he decided to throw them a bone. "I met someone, well, I knew 'em from before, but we decided we're gonna make a go of it this time."

"Hell yeah man," Oscar exclaimed. "It's about time you found somebody. How long ago you meet her?"

"Uh, 'bout three months ago; it was just one night, but she came back; said she couldn’t stop thinking about me." He used the wrong pronoun; he wanted to get them off his back, not start another discussion.

"You couldn't stop thinking about her either; am I right?" Axel said, and winked at Daryl.

"Mmm, guess not," the smiling man replied.

**********************************************************************************************************************************************************

Daryl's smile didn't leave his face all day; there was no huffing or puffing, and he even said 'please' and 'thank you'. When it was quitting time, he raced home, hitting all the green lights, and flew out of the truck when he pulled into the drive. His precious was waiting for him; sitting on the couch, dressed and ready to go. The young man sprang from his seat and ran to Daryl as soon as he came through the door. "I'm so glad your home. Thought about you all day." He flung his arms around the other man and kissed him hard.

Daryl responded with as much enthusiasm as he received; returning the kiss and holding the young man close to his body. "I'm so glad to be home; glad to see your still here."

"I'll always be here; don't want to be anywhere else." he replied. "I cleaned up a bit; did the dishes, swept the floor, and cleaned the bathroom."

"You're not the maid; you didn't have to do that." Daryl said and let precious lead him through the house.

"No, but until I can find a job I'll take care of things here, so you don't have to worry about it."

"I wish Merle would've thought like that," Daryl replied laughing. "Wait a minute," he said. "Are those my clothes?"

The young man blushed. "Yeah, I didn't think you'd want to go out in public with me wearing those ratty old clothes. I even borrowed a pair of underwear." Daryl's eyes widened.

"Well then, I can't wait to get home and see how well they fit," he told the other man and kissed him. "Let's get going; I want to get this done, eat and then come home and have you for dessert." The young mad giggled and followed Daryl to the truck.

**********************************************************************************************************************************************************

They went to the Wal-Mart in town and Daryl helped the young man pick out several t-shirts, a few collard dress shirts, two pairs of jeans and one pair of dress pants. He bought new socks and underwear and a new pair of sneakers. Occasionally, he would reach out for Daryl's hand, only to have the other man put an extra step of space between them. When he would stand behind Daryl and rest his chin on the man's shoulder, he would shake him off. He didn't want to cause a scene or make Daryl uncomfortable, but he felt a little dejected by the man's lack of interest. Eventually, he stopped making attempts and let Daryl have his space. 

On their way home, they decide to stop for dinner. The moon was shining overhead and the roads were empty. The ride was quiet, and the young man wondered if he should tell Daryl how he felt or just let it go. "Daryl, can you pull over for a minute" he asks nervously.

"Sure, you feeling okay?" Daryl asked as he pulled over on the side of the road by the tree line and turned off the engine and lights.

"I feel fine physically, but I want to apologize for what happened back there. I know this is new for both of us, but I like the idea of holding your hand and being close to you. I guess I forgot where we were; where we are. I didn't want to embarrass you."

Daryl felt ashamed of his behavior. He never wanted to hurt the young man's feelings or make him think he didn't want to touch or be close to him. "When I was in high school, there was this strange guy that hung out around town. He lived in an old shack at the edge of town; he was probably in his twenties or thirties. Anyway, he was gay, and nobody in town would even look at him and left him alone for the most part. One morning his body was found in the creek; he was naked and beaten to death. It was so bad; he was barely recognizable. I don't want that to happen to you, or to me. This town isn't gonna let go of its prejudices'; I don't want to do anything that would risk your life. I'm sorry, I didn't want to hurt you."

The young man looked out the windows of the truck to verify that there was no one else around and unbuckled his seatbelt. Leaning across the seat, he kissed Daryl. "I understand and I don't want to do anything that would cause you to get hurt or worse. I don't want to live without you anymore. I'll keep my hands to myself from now on, I promise." 

He kissed the man again and moved to reattach his seatbelt when Daryl's hand grabbed his wrist. "I need you to know how much I love you and how important you are to me. I would do anything or suffer anything to spend my life with you.” Daryl looked at him and cupped his face in his hands. “Ride me.”

The young man slipped out of his pants and boxers while Daryl pushed his down to his knees. He adjusted the driver's seat, leaning back as far as he could and pulled his precious young man on top of him. "We don't have any condoms," the young man whispered in the darkness. 

"Glove box; I stopped on my way to work this morning." Precious reached his hand back and hit the release button and took the box out. Ripping it open, he pulled out a foil packet.

"Allow me," he whispered and rolled it down Daryl's length; Daryl placed his fingers on the other man's lips and the young man licked and sucked them until they were sufficiently wet. Daryl inserted two digits and the younger man moaned breathlessly. "Fuuuck. I missed the way you touch me." Daryl stretched him out with his fingers until precious couldn't take it anymore. "I want your dick inside me now, please."

Daryl pulled his fingers out and lifted the young man's hips; he slid down with ease and both men moved together, holding each other and kissing as they whispered words of apology and undying love. They came together and melted into each other's arms until their heart rates slowed, then they redressed and headed out to grab some food.


	5. Chapter 5- Discomfort and Embarrassment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Merle calls with important news.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who has read, commented and left kudos. I love you all.

Chapter Five

 

Daryl and his precious young man had been living together for three weeks. He had convinced Dale to hire the other man and now they were working together too. It was hard for both of them; they had to keep themselves in check. No lingering stares, no accidental touches, and no collective bathroom breaks. It was easier for Daryl to deal with because he was still afraid of backlash; he would do anything required of him to protect the young man, but didn't want to be forced into doing it. The young man was still hurt every time he would look at Daryl and the man would look away; despite his understanding of the situation, he still felt like a dirty little secret.

Another bad thing about working together was that they always had different days off. The scrap yard was open seven days a week and one or the other of them was always scheduled to work at least one day on the weekend. The young man usually spent his off days in the woods; he would explore and collect any kills that were trapped by Daryl's snares, but today he decided to stay in bed. It was raining and he wasn't going traipsing around in the woods in that shit. He was only getting out of bed to piss and eat. Maybe later he would check out the porn channels. He hadn't done that yet; there hadn't been a reason to, but he thought it might give him some ideas to surprise Daryl with. 

He slept until lunchtime, when Daryl called. They always called each other on their days off, unless it was Wednesday; that was Merle's day. "Hey Daryl," the young man said as he stretched out on the bed. "How's your day going?"

"Ugh, Axel is driving me bat shit about meeting "my girl". Other than that, I just miss you."

The young man laughed into the phone. "I can be your girl. I do a mean Marilyn impression; I can sing Happy Birthday and everything." 

Daryl laughed. "You can do that for Axel's damn birthday; pop out of a cake and all that shit. He'd fucking shit his pants if you started flirting with him. I'd put that shit on YouTube."

"I can do it just for you; wouldn't have to be your birthday. I could strip for you; give you a little show if you want." The young man said seductively.

"Fuck, that sounds good, precious. We can go to a thrift store in Atlanta; I bet they got tons of that shit out there." 

"Maybe we could find some other goodies out there too. There's so much I want to do with you Daryl; so much I want to show you."

"I'm all for it precious; every last bit of it." Daryl looked at the clock in his truck; he had five minutes to clock in and get back to work. "I gotta get back. I'll see you when I get home; I love you."

The young man sighed heavily into the phone. "I love you too Daryl."

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The house phone rang at four o'clock; one hour before Daryl was due to leave work. The young man knew it wasn't Daryl; he always called the cell. No one had ever called when Daryl wasn't there and he wasn't sure if the other man would want him to answer it, or let it ring. If it was important, Daryl might get mad that he didn't pick it up.

"Hello?" he said nervously.

"Who the hell are you? Where's Daryl?" a rough voice said.

"Uh . . . Daryl is loading up the truck. He's been teaching me to hunt and track and he's taking me out overnight. We're running late, so he's in a hurry." 

"Uh huh," Merle replied. "What's your name?"

"J . . . John. Uh, we met at Lucky's. I heard him talking to some guys about a hunting trip and I asked him about it. He said he'd be willing to teach me if I paid him."

"Well, you make sure you do damn pay him. My brother’s the best hunter and tracker in the state of Georgia. You're learning from the best." Merle growled at him.

"Yes sir; I do believe I'm learning from the best." he said nervously.

"Well, I won't disturb him if he's busy and y'all are running late. Tell him to call his brother when he gets a chance."

"Uh, yes sir, I will." he replied and placed the phone back on the receiver. He collapsed on the couch and waited for Daryl to get home.

**********************************************************************************************************************************************************

Daryl came through the door an hour and a half later. He stopped at the convenience store to buy more beer and condoms. He dropped the items on the kitchen table and sat on the couch. "Hey precious," he said and kissed the other man sweetly. "What did you do today?"

"I, uh, slept till you called at lunch, then I went back to sleep for a while; got up, took a shower. I watched a little tv and your brother called." He said it so casually that he hoped Daryl didn't catch it.

"Merle called?" he asked. "Shit! I forgot to tell him I was working today. Dammit! I guess he left a message?"

"Yeah he did; with me." The young man said.

"You answered the phone?" Daryl didn't know exactly how he felt about this. The young man lived here too; he had as much right to answer the damn phone when it rang. "Okay, what did he say?"

"Well, he asked me who the hell I was and where you were. I told him you were giving me hunting and tracking lessons and that we were going on an overnight trip in the woods. You were busy loading up the truck when he called."

"Did he believe you?"

"I guess he did. He said that I needed to pay you good because you're the best hunter and tracker in the state of Georgia, and to call him when you get a chance."

Daryl smiled. "I guess he bought it." He reached over and kissed the young man again. "Where's the phone? I'm gonna call him back."

"Wait, we're out in the woods, remember?" The young man said as Daryl stood up and grabbed the phone from on top of the entertainment center. 

"Not in this damn rain we're not. I'll tell him that we got all the way out there and your delicate ass started to melt." Daryl said and laughed.

"My delicate ass? I'm not the one with a delicate ass, lover boy. I'm gonna show you just how delicate your ass is after you get off that phone." he said and slapped the man's behind as he walked by. 

"What if I'd rather get off while I'm on the phone?" Daryl giggled at his own words while he dialed Merle's number. Young man sat next to him and played with Daryl's hair. "Hey Merle, sorry I missed your call."

"Hey baby brother! I thought you was out for the night." Merle asked.

"We got all the way out there and it started raining. Dude freaked out, didn't want to sleep in the mud."

Merle laughed. "All them city boys are pussies. I hope you got paid anyway."

"Yeah, he's paying me. Pretty damn good too." The young man kissed his neck and ran his hand up Daryl's thigh to the apex and moved his thumb in a circular motion over the man's hardening erection. 

"Y'all gonna try again for the overnight trip?" Merle asked in Daryl's ear; he vaguely heard his brother's voice over the rush of his own heartbeat in his ears. 

"Probably, he seems pretty eager. He's got a good attitude and he's a fast learner. Won't mind taking him out." Daryl's eyes went to the young man's hand on him; he began to unbuckle Daryl's belt and got on his knees between the man's thighs. He looked up at Daryl and batted his eyelashes seductively as he took the man's hard cock out and pumped it a few times. 

"The reason I called was that I've got some news for ya. I met a woman, and I really like her a lot." Merle said; Daryl could hear the happiness in his brother's voice.

"That's great Merle; where did you meet her?" he tried to sound normal, but the young man was licking his slit and sucking the head no nicely that his voice was low and ragged.

"You're not going to believe this, but I met her at the goddamn grocery store. She helped me pick out fruit for fucks sake; was telling me what's good for what. I helped take her groceries to her car and asked her out. We been on three dates so far and I haven't even tried to fuck her yet. I think I'm losing it."

Daryl tried not to moan into the receiver, but precious was making it oh so hard. "Sounds like you're in love Merle. What's her name? Tell me about her." Daryl really didn't care at the moment if Merle was fucking Sasquatch, he had more important things to focus on right now, but didn't want Merle to think he didn't want to talk to him. 

"Her name is Andrea and she's beautiful, blonde and sassy; you know I like my women sassy. And she's a fucking lawyer; can you believe that shit? Me in love with a fucking lawyer." Daryl's head fell back onto the couch when the young man started bobbing his head up and down, sucking and licking the underside of his dick. "She don't talk down to me none and even gets rowdy with me sometimes. I took her to a bar last night and we got so drunk we couldn't stand up. She makes me laugh; she's funny, and thoughtful, and she's real kind. I think I found the one."

The young man prompted Daryl to lift his hips and pulled the man's pants all the way down his legs, pulling them completely off. He spread the man's legs and wet two fingers in his mouth. He pushed them against Daryl's needy hole and pushed in while taking the man's cock back into his mouth. Daryl couldn't take it anymore; he had to get his brother off the phone and his precious young man into the bedroom. "Merle, that's great. I'm really happy for you. You'll have to bring her down with you when you come home. I gotta go; I’m putting stew on the stove and I gotta keep an eye on it."

"Alright baby brother; I'm expecting some of that stew when I get home. I'll talk to ya again on Wednesday. Have a good week."

"Yeah, you too bro." Daryl pushed the end call button as hard as he could and threw the phone to the other side of the room. He pulled the young man off his dick and pulled him into his lap for a fiery kiss. "Goddammit! You little shit! I oughtta spank the fuck outta you for that." Daryl said sternly. 

The young man smiled slyly and stood up, unbuckling his pants and sending Daryl a blazing look. "You'll have to catch me first, old man," he said and dashed off toward the bedroom. Daryl chased after him and made it through the door before the young man could close it. Daryl grabbed him roughly and pushed him against the wall, tearing the man's clothes off him. 

"I don't like being teased," Daryl said in the other man's ear. "You're gonna get it now." The young man's cock twitched in anticipation and Daryl yanked his pants off him. "Fucking bend over the bed. Your ass is gonna be red as a fucking cherry when I'm done." The young man moaned loud and wanton as he bent over and stuck his ass in the air for Daryl to do whatever he wanted with. The older man caressed and kneaded his cheeks, slipping a finger in between and nudging his needy hole. "This what you were after? You want me to take this ass and teach you not to tease me?"

"Y . . .y . . . yes. God, take me Daryl!" he whined exquisitely, making the other man leak with arousal. Daryl raised his hand and slapped the young man's alabaster ass. The raw, animalistic sounds coming from the man beneath him every time his hand connected to bare skin gave Daryl a feeling of euphoria he had never experienced. This was the first time they had engaged in this type of behavior and Daryl found it exhilarating and erotic; he wondered if the young man would be willing to do this to him. 

"Have you learned your lesson, precious?" he asked as he gently rubbed the young man's ass. "Are you ready for me to fuck you?"

The young man had been spanked a few times before, but it had never been as arousing as this. He could barely speak and knew he would come the minute Daryl entered him. "Mmmm, yes; fuck me Daryl," he managed to get out in a high-pitched, needy voice. Daryl took a condom and a bottle of lube from the bed side table. Dribbling a bit on his fingers, he inserted one and immediately began fucking the young man with it. The other man pushed back onto Daryl's fingers looking for deeper contact, and Daryl inserted a second finger to stretch him out. 

"Goddammit Daryl! If you don't fuck me now, I'm gonna come without you. I want you to stretch me with that wide cock, not your skinny ass fingers." Daryl would have chuckled, but was too busy removing his fingers and sliding the condom on. He was always careful when he entered his lover, but this time the excitement was too much and he began thrusting before he was all the way in. He pushed in and out so hard and fast that the young man's head almost went through the mattress. Both men were crying out each other's names and cursing under their hitching breaths. The young man's cock scraped against the bedding beneath him and that was all it took for his body to spasm and his orgasm to pour from his body.

Daryl kept thrusting as if he hadn't noticed the young man come, or as if he didn't care. He was too lost in his own impending orgasm and after at least one or two more minutes of pushing himself in and out of his lover, he released inside him. Daryl pulled out and threw the condom in the waste basket next to the bed, and collapsed next to the young man, who hadn't moved. "Fuck," he said, trying to catch his breath. "Was that okay? I've never done anything like that before."

The young man turned his head toward Daryl and opened one eye. "Hell yes, that was afuckingmazing! It's never felt that good before; I kinda like being a naughty boy now." Daryl grinned at him and rubbed his hand up and down the man's back. 

"Hell, I might like being a naughty boy myself," he said and closed his eyes. They laid together for a while until the young man moved onto his back.

"I'm starving; can we eat now?"

"Sure," Daryl replied. "I can order pizza or we can go grab something and bring it back." 

"No way; you mentioned stew. You're not getting out of that so easily."


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Date Night" in Atlanta. Daryl gets hit on and Young Man gets hit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is the turning point. Nothing will be the same for our boys, but don't worry, they will survive.

Chapter Six

 

They young man had been hinting to Daryl that he wanted them to go out together, in public, but Daryl was still up in the air about that. Daryl wanted to go; he wanted to take his precious young man out in public and let everyone know that he had found someone who could love him, but his anxiety was overwhelming. "We could go to Atlanta," the young man suggested one night while lying in Daryl's arms. "There are a few gay bars and clubs; you wouldn't have to feel self-conscious. No one would know us and most of them would be in the same boat. Please Daryl, I want to go out and have a good time with you."

"I think we have a perfectly good time staying in" he joked, nuzzling the young man's neck.

"We do Daryl, but I want to show you off. I want people to know that we're together; that we love each other. It doesn't matter to me that we'll never see them again." He turned in Daryl's arms and placed a tender kiss on the man's lips. "Hell, we could go to fucking Miami for a weekend; I don't care. I just want to go out with you and not be afraid or make you feel anxious." 

Daryl kissed the young man back and sighed. "Okay, you find a place you want to go, and we'll go. I trust you to find a good place. I want to show you off too; I never had anybody love me like you do. I wish the whole world could know."

"They will, someday, but we'll take baby steps. We don't have to stay long. We can get a hotel room and spend the night; it'll be like a vacation." The young man smiled and laid his head on Daryl's chest. 

"Do it." Daryl replied. "Find something tomorrow and I'll ask Dale for the time off; I'll give him the hunting trip story. If it worked on Merle, it might work on him too."

**********************************************************************************************************************************************************

Two weeks later, Daryl was looking through his closet to find something suitable to wear on his "date". The young man had found some bars and clubs within a few blocks of each other, and the two men had decided to check out a few of them; he had also reserved a motel room for them to stay in that night. Daryl had never had a night out on the town, so to speak and didn't know what would be appropriate to wear to a gay bar or club. He sat on his bed staring into his closet, distracted by his anxiety over what would happen that night. He was lost in his thoughts and didn't hear the knock on the bedroom door.

"Daryl?" the young man called to him from the other side of the door. "Are you okay? Need some help?" He walked into the room and saw Daryl setting on the bed, and sat down next to him. "It doesn't matter what you were baby; you look good in anything."

Daryl sighed heavily and turned to look at his precious young man. "Never been on a date before; never been around other gay men. What am I supposed to wear? I ain't wearing nothing pink, or frilly; ain't got any of that shit anyway."

The young man laughed quietly. "Please don't wear pink; I don't think it would look good on you." He stood up, showing Daryl that he was wearing a nice pair of black jeans and a sleeveless black t-shirt. "Wear something like this; jeans and a t-shirt are universally acceptable."

Daryl looked him over carefully, from his head to his feet. "You make that look so good precious. Someone's gonna want to take you home with them," he said licking his lips.

The young man pushed him back onto the bed. "I hope it's you, because you’re the only person I want to go home with." Hovering over his lover, the young man leaned down and kissed Daryl. "Tonight we're gonna laugh, and dance, and have a good time together, then I'm gonna take you to the hotel and suck and fuck you until your unconscious."

Daryl's body shuttered at the thought, and he brought the young man's mouth back to his. "We need to get you dressed," the young man finally said. "If you want to get something to eat before we go to the club, we need to get on the road." He climbed off Daryl and pulled a pair of nice black jeans from his closet, and a grey t-shirt from his dresser drawer. "Put these on and meet me outside; I'm ready to party."

**********************************************************************************************************************************************************

Two hours later, Daryl's truck entered Fulton County and the city of Atlanta. The young man had been telling him what he could expect at the club; including getting hit on, but that just made Daryl laugh out loud. The thought of someone hitting on him was just absurd, he thought. They stopped and had dinner at some no-name bar-b-que joint close to the club district; Daryl was getting more and more nervous as the time passed, and the young man tried to comfort him. "I know what will calm you down," he said to Daryl as they got in the truck to head to the club. He scooted closer to the driver and began to rub him through his pants.

"Fuck, can't do that; I'll fucking come in my pants, and I don't want to have to find somewhere to change clothes," Daryl said, batting the man's hand away.

"Okay, take them off; there's a towel in the back we can use. I want to help you relax; you won't have a good time if your nervous." 

"Okay," Daryl relented and opened his pants, pushing them down below his ass. The young man reached behind him to the backseat and brought the towel up front, placing it on his lap. He reached over and tugged on Daryl's limp cock; usually he would have been at full staff by now, but the anxiety was holding him back.

"Relax Daryl; close your eyes. It's dark and no one can see us, just concentrate on my hand and how good it makes you feel. Imagine being at the club and dancing with me; grinding against each other until we're both rock hard and leaking. Hear me moan your name every time you touch me." Daryl was fully erect now and moving his hips up into the young man's hand. 

"Fuck yes," he replied as the saw it all in his mind. His arousal had gone from zero to sixty in less than a minute and his anxiety was nonexistent. "I want to come; make me come, precious." The young man leaned down as far as he could and pressed his tongue deep into the slit of the other man's cock, causing him to erupt into the young man's mouth. He took all he could considering the awkward angle he was in and continued to pump his lover until he was dry.

"Fuck me!" Daryl exclaimed. 

The young man wiped his mouth and cleaned Daryl with the towel. "Oh I will," he said, and pulled the other man into a warm kiss. "You just have to be patient sweetheart."

**********************************************************************************************************************************************************

The club was crowded, which was to be expected on a Friday night, but Daryl was able to find a table in the corner. The music was pumping and the dance floor was filled with happy, laughing couples. "This is not what I imagined," Daryl said, trying to be heard over the thumping base.

"It's like any other club, except it's full of gay men," the young man answered. "I'll get us a couple of beers, then we can get on the dance floor and groove our asses off." Daryl took the time to look around the club. The men didn't look like he had imagined they would either. A lot of them were dressed just like him, jeans and t-shirts; some were wearing suits, and there were even a couple dressed in drag. Daryl had never seen a drag queen before, and had to admit they looked beautiful. 

He was startled when the young man returned and dropped a beer on the table in front of him. "Drink up baby; I'm gonna get you on that dance floor and show you off."

Daryl took a long drink of his beer. "I don't fuckin' know how to dance; I'd make a fool of myself and embarrass you."

"It's not that hard; just moving your body to the beat. I know you can move those hips, but we can wait for a slower song, if that would make you feel better. That way all you have to do is hold on to me and sway those hips a little. I think I would like that better anyway." Daryl agreed to the slow dance and went to the bar to get the second round. The bar was busy and as he waited to put his order in, the man sitting on the stool next to him turned around.

"Hi," the man said and extended his hand. "I haven't seen you here before. Are you new to the scene?"

Daryl hesitantly shook the man's hand. "Uh, yeah. Never been to a club like this before."

"My name is Rick. What's yours?"

"Daryl," he replied and looked back at his young man waiting for him back at their table. 

"You have beautiful eyes Daryl. Can I buy you a drink?" Rick asked him.

"No, no thanks. I'm here with my boyfriend; I don't know if he'd like that." Daryl replied nervously.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Didn't know you were here with someone. Listen, if you ever get bored with him, you can find me here most weekend nights. I'd love to get to know you," Rick said and smiled seductively at Daryl.

"I'll remember that," Daryl said and took the two beers back to the table. When he sat down, the young man wiggled his eyes at him.

"He was hitting on you wasn't he?" the man asked and took a drink of his beer.

"He offered to buy me a drink; said I have beautiful eyes," Daryl told him, not fully believing what had just happened. 

"I told you someone would hit on you; you're very handsome Daryl, and sexy as fuck. He's right, you do have beautiful eyes." Daryl leaned over the table and kissed the young man without regard to the other people in the room; he didn't think twice about it. 

Daryl threw back his beer and stood up. "Let's dance. I want everybody to know that we're here together." The young man took Daryl's outstretched hand and let the man lead him to the dance floor. Thank God the song playing was a slow R&B ballad; Daryl hated that kind of music, but he was grateful for it tonight. He put his arms around the young man's waist and pulled him close. The other man put his arms around Daryl's neck and they began to sway their hips together.

"I love you Daryl," the young man said into his ear. "No one has ever been as good and kind to me. I've never felt this with anyone in my life. I want to spend the rest of my life with you."

"I love you too; so fucking much. You have no idea how hard it was to get you out of my head; I couldn't do it. I tortured myself thinking about you; thinking that I'd never feel you again." They kissed softly and moved to the music, holding each other tight. When the song was over, both men were ready to call it a night and while Daryl went to settle their tab, the young man went to the restroom, agreeing to meet out front. 

He was too happy to notice any other person in the club, and made his way to the restroom thinking of all the things he and Daryl would do when they got to the motel room. As he walked back out to the back hallway, a large, burly man stepped in front of him, blocking his path. "Well, well; fancy seeing you here," the large man sneered. "I didn't think I'd ever see your sweet ass again." The young man just stared fearfully into the eyes of a man he never wanted to see again. "What's wrong baby, don't tell me you don't remember who I am."

The young man swallowed hard; his heart racing and sweat forming on his brow. "I remember you Ed."

"You better damn well remember me; you skipped out on me with a hundred thousand dollars of my money. After all I did for you; I kept you from sleeping in the streets, from starving. You were a pretty decent fuck too; tight little asshole, pretty little face. After all that, you fucking steal my money you little whore."

"Ed, come on," the young man stammered. "That was what, two years ago? I don't have your money anymore; it's all gone."

"I bet it is, but that don't change the fact that you owe me, and your gonna start paying me back tonight." Ed grabbed him by the forearm and dragged him out the back door into the alley. He wanted to scream for Daryl, but doubted the man would hear him. Ed pushed him up against the wall, putting his arm against the young man's throat. 

"Ed, please. I'm with someone; don't do this." He didn't know if Ed was going to rape him, kill him or both. "I'll get your money; I got a real job now; I don't do that shit anymore. Please, just let me go; he's waiting for me."

"Should I find him and tell him you nothing but a thief and a whore? He won't want anything to do with you." Ed pulled back his fist and landed it right on the young man's cheek, causing his to fall to the ground. 

"It's not like that; I love him, and he loves me." the man cried as he lay on the cold concrete. Ed shoved his steel toed boot in the young man's gut.

"He doesn't love you; no one can love a whore, you stupid cocksucker." Ed kicked him in the ribs once more. "I will find you again, and you will pay for taking advantage of me you worthless little slut." The young man laid there holding himself and crying as he heard Ed's heavy boots walk away.

**********************************************************************************************************************************************************

Daryl had been waiting for ten minutes and was getting worried; he was afraid something had happened to the young man and turned to go back inside as a huge, fat man almost ran into him coming from the back ally. Daryl cursed at him, but the man didn't pay him any mind. He made his way through the crowd to the hallway that led to the bathrooms, but he didn't see the other man anywhere; not in the hallway and not in the bathroom. Daryl was scared now and turned to go out the back door which had been left ajar.

He tripped over something in the darkness and looked down to see the man he loved on the ground, bruised and bloody. "Precious?" Daryl says in a frantic and anguished voice. "What happened? Oh god! Say something! Please be alive!" Daryl sobbed over the young man's body as he cradled him in his arms.

"I'm okay baby, just an accident is all." he said desperately holding on to his lover.

"You're not okay, and what the hell kind of an accident did you have? Who did this to you?"

The young man wasn't about to tell Daryl the truth; he would rather die than risk Daryl's life for this. "I don't know. He thought I was someone else; I think he thought his boyfriend was cheating with me."

"We got to get you to a hospital and call the cops," Daryl said lifting the young man into his arms and carrying him to the truck.

"No Daryl. No hospital, no cops, please. Just take me to the motel. I just need to rest, okay." Daryl looked at him and shook his head.

"I gotta pick up a first aid kit; I'm gonna take care of you, precious." 

**********************************************************************************************************************************************************

Daryl carried the young man into the motel room and laid him on the bed gently; neither man said a word in the truck, and Daryl was both angry and scared. The older man opened the first aid kit and carefully pulled the young man's shirt from his body. His torso was purple, and just the sight of it make Daryl wince. He knew he was being lied to, but was hesitant to bring it up; he didn't want to have an argument or put the young man on the defensive. 

Daryl washed the cut on his face and kissed him softly. The young man wished that he could be honest with Daryl; he knew the other man would be able to do something about Ed, but he also knew that the Daryl didn't want any attention drawn to himself. Daryl was too scared to come out of the closet, and the young man didn't want to put him in a position where he would be forced out. Daryl's hands were gentle and reminded him of the last time he had mended his wounds.

"You don't have anything to smile about precious. What's with the goofy grin?" Daryl asked as he wrapped gauze around the man's midsection.

"Just thinking about the day we met; you took care of me then too." He caressed Daryl's cheek lovingly. "I fell in love with you that day; I never thought that would ever happen to me. You're all I thought about for three months. Every day I regretted leaving you and wanted to come back, but I convinced myself you wouldn't want me. I believed that you would never want a worthless piece of shit like me, but I couldn't live that life anymore. I had to take the risk and see if there could be anything between us."

Daryl sat on the bed next to his battered young man and held his hand. "You are not a worthless piece of shit; you are the only person who’s ever loved me. I remember watching you sleep on that bench at the bus station and thinking how beautiful you were. I never imagined I would get the chance to touch you or be touched by you, and when I found you in the woods, I thought it was a dream. I love you more than I will ever love anyone and I can’t lose you again." 

The young man buried his face in Daryl's neck. "I can't lose you either; you're everything to me Daryl." He lifted his head and Daryl wiped the tear from the young man's cheek. 

"Let's get some sleep. You can call Dale in the morning and tell him you won't be in for a few days." Daryl got them both undressed and settled under the covers. "Goodnight precious," he said and carefully held the young man in his arms.


	7. Chapter 7- Evil Intentions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daryl meets a new customer

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a raging migraine and proofed this while seeing double. Please excuse any and all mistakes.

Chapter Seven

 

Two months had passed since the young man had been attacked outside the club in Atlanta, and there had been no sighting of Ed since. He and Daryl continued to wake up every morning in each other's arms and fall asleep every night the same way. They decided that it would be best if they didn't venture out again for a while; Daryl feared that it would happen again, or worse, and the young man agreed. Ed could be anywhere, he suspected, and the thought of what that man would do to him if he ever saw him again sent shivers down his spine.

**************************************************************************************************************************************

Daryl and the young man were the only ones working at the lot that day, and they alternated between being outside and manning the office. When it was time for lunch, they shared leftover lasagna in the breakroom; young man had made it from scratch last night, and it was the best Daryl ever had. The two men made small talk over their meal. Daryl had been telling him about Merle; he still hadn't decided what he was going to say to his brother, but he wanted the young man to be prepared for anything. 

After lunch, it was the younger man's turn to work outside; someone had dropped off a fleet of old junkers that had to be stripped for parts. Daryl spent his time in the office on the computer; Dale had set up a website for the salvage yard and people would often send inquiries about parts and Daryl always took it upon himself to check the website daily and answer any questions he could. When the bell above the door chimed, Daryl tore his eyes away from the computer screen and stood to greet his customer. "Welcome to Baisden Brother's; how can I help you?"

"Well, I just bought a '68 Thunderbird; it needs work and I'm looking for a carburetor. I figure a salvage yard this size would have a few of those laying around," the man said, staring a hole in Daryl.

"Let me look it up; we keep everything cataloged. It'll just take a minute for me to check for one." Daryl went back to the computer and looked up the inventory sheet, and to his surprise, there wasn't one carburetor on the whole lot. "I'm sorry, we don't have one right now, but we got a fleet of old cars just yesterday. I can give you a call when we get one pulled out. Should only be a day or two."

The man looked very disappointed and quite upset. "That'll be fine; as long as I can get one and not have to look all over heaven and earth, I can wait a couple of days."

Daryl took a pad of paper and a pen from the desk and handed it to the gentleman. "Just leave me your name and phone number and I'll let you know when we got it ready for you." The man scribbled something on the paper and gave it back to Daryl. Before the he got out the door, Daryl stopped him. "Uh, I'm sorry. How do you pronounce your last name?"

"It's pronounced Peletier, but you can just call me Ed."

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Two hours later, the young man reappeared in the office; sweaty, stinky and dying of thirst. Daryl eyed him up and down as the man went to the break room to get a bottle of water. He went to the front door and locked it, putting up the "closed" sign and followed the other man into the other room. 

"Had a guy come in a couple hours ago looking for a carburetor. You pulled one yet?" He asked and sat at the rickety table.

"No, not yet; probably get to that tomorrow or the next day." He leaned back against the counter and watched Daryl watch him drink from the water bottle.

"Let me know when you get it. I told him that I'd call him." Daryl couldn't take his eyes off the younger man; this was the first time they had worked alone together and he didn't want to let this opportunity pass him by. He stood up and walked to the counter; standing in front of his lover, he put his hands on the man's hips and pulled him in for a kiss. They melted into each other as Daryl rubbed his half hard cock against the other man's thigh.

"Daryl, baby, what if someone walks in?"

"Can't happen when the door's locked." 

The young man smiled. "What if someone comes by and the place is closed? We could get in trouble for that." Daryl's kisses had him breathless and he honestly didn't give a fuck about getting in trouble.

"It'd be my fault; I'll take the blame," Daryl said as his hands ran up the young man's chest, pulling his shirt up and over his head.

"That would make you a naughty boy, Daryl. Don't make me have to spank you."

Daryl's dick was so hard it hurt. "Yes," he moaned. "Fucking spank me. Fucking teach me a lesson." The young man pushed Daryl off and took his pants down.

"On your knees baby. I'm gonna fuck your face." Daryl's eyes fell back into his head as he dropped to his knees. "Open your mouth," the young man demanded, and Daryl did it without thought. "Stick out your tongue and lick my cock; make it nice and wet." 

Daryl desperately wanted to pull himself out and jerk his own cock, but knew what the other man planned to do, so he kept his hands secured around the young man's waist and did what he was told. The young man held his cock above Daryl's open mouth and waiting tongue, admiring the look of desire on the man's face; he loved seeing every time. He touched the leaking tip of his cock on the edge of Daryl's tongue and ran it up and down. "Don't move, keep your mouth open," he demanded, and Daryl looked up at him with half lidded eyes that spoke volumes of his lust and desire. The man pushed his dick into Daryl's mouth as far as it would go and although tears began to form at the corner of his eyes, Daryl didn't gag. The young man ran his fingers through Daryl's hair. "You're being such a good boy sweetheart, I'm gonna fuck you so good. Now close your mouth and suck."

Daryl groaned loudly when he heard the young man's command and wrapped his lips around the base of his cock. His head was held in place as he sucked around the growing length, and he was afraid the panting and moaning he heard coming from the other man would make him come in his pants. Suddenly he was ripped away from the delicious cock and pulled up to standing by his shirt collar. He was pushed back to the table and swiftly turned around and bent over. As the young man reached around to take off Daryl's pants, he leaned over his body and whispered in his ear. "It's time for your spanking, naughty boy. I'm gonna give it to you good." 

Daryl felt the sting of the first strike and cried out. He had never been on the receiving end of this before and was already enjoying it a little too much. "Fuck!" he exclaimed. "Again, please?"

"You don't have to beg, baby. I'm gonna spank your sweet ass until I think you've learned your lesson." Each smack resounded through Daryl's entire body and rested solely in his balls. He was a writhing, keening mess under the young man's assault, and needed to be filled with him. 

"Please," Daryl tried to speak, but his brain wouldn't cooperate.

"Please what, baby? Are you gonna be good now? I'm dying to fuck your ass; you want that?" The young man responded, smirking behind Daryl's back.

"Yes . . . please." Was all he could muster as he felt the tip of the other man's cock rub against his hole.

"I think I like making a mess of you, Daryl. It looks so good on you." The young man bent over Daryl's body and shoved two fingers in the man's mouth. When they were sufficiently wet and sloppy, he inserted them into Daryl's ass. He took only enough time to stretch Daryl out, and once satisfied, he removed them and lined himself up with Daryl’s entrance Both men moaned as the young man slid inside and finally bottomed out. He waited half a beat before pulling out and slamming back in so hard the table moved. Daryl held the sides for dear life as he was fucked hard and mercilessly by his lover.

Daryl was panting like an animal and the young man behind him was growling like a beast as he thrust brutally toward release. Daryl was begging to come, cursing and praising his lover's skill. His prostate was being assaulted in the most blissful way, and he wouldn't be able to hold out much longer. "Are you gonna come for me, good boy? I'm gonna blow my load in your ass, and I need you to come now!" he rumbled. Daryl's body shook violently and he came, untouched, with a yell that would have caused the building to collapse. The young man followed him into rapture, and continued to fuck Daryl through their orgasms. 

He helped Daryl to stand on shaky legs and they collapsed onto the tile floor, holding each other. "Fuck, that was amazing," Daryl said as he buried his face in the young man's neck. 

"We need to clean up your mess on the floor and open the office," the young man replied. "I'll help you and then we can stay in the office until it's time to go home."

Daryl lifted his head and kissed the man sweetly. "I can't wait to get home," he said. "I really need a shower now."


	8. Blackmail

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Young man delivers the carburetor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, don't hate me. Re-read tags please.

Chapter Eight

 

Two days later, the young man took the carburetor out of 1975 Nova SS and set it aside knowing someone was coming to get it. He and Axel had been tearing apart all the vehicles and loading them onto the truck so Daryl and Oscar could catalog them into the system. Between the four of them, it had taken two days to strip three cars; they would have the remaining four done by the end of the week. 

Axel drove the truck up to the back door of the office while the young man ran inside. "I got that carburetor pulled for ya Daryl. I'm gotta take a piss, then grab a smoke, okay?" Daryl nodded his head in the young man's direction.

"Alright, I'll give him a call." Daryl searched the office for the piece of paper the man had written his phone number on and finally found it laying under a notebook by the computer. He could hear the other three men arguing outside as he dialed Mr. Peletier's number; he answered on the third ring.

"Hello, Mr. Peletier? This is Daryl down at Baisden Brother's Salvage. I got your carburetor here for you to pick up."

"Oh, hey Daryl, thanks. I'm working on the car right now; if I gave you my address would it be too much trouble to have someone bring it out here to me? I only live about ten minutes away."

"Sure Mr. Peletier. I got a guy who can deliver it to ya. He'll be out in about thirty minutes."

"Thank you Daryl," Ed said. "Tell him I'll have a special tip for him for making the trip."

"I sure will Mr. Peletier. Thanks again." Daryl hung up the phone and took the paper that he'd written the address on and went out back where the other guys were.

"The man that wants that carburetor is working on the car he's putting it in. He wanted to know if someone could deliver to him." He sauntered up to the young man and jingled his keys. "You can take my truck and I'll help you load it up. He said he'd tip ya for driving out there."

The young man grabbed the keys from Daryl's hand. "Sure, I'll go. It'll get me away from these dumb assholes, plus get me a tip; can't beat that." Both Oscar and Axel kindly raised their middle fingers at the young man as he and Daryl went back inside. 

As soon as the door closed behind them, Daryl took the other man in his arms and kissed him. "Thank you for doing this. I'll do something special for you tonight when we get home."

"The pot just keeps getting sweeter," he said and smiled kissing Daryl once more. " I'll bring the truck out back and we can load it from there."

 

"Dammit Daryl, you ain't the boss around here," the young man heard Axel bitch as he rounded the corner behind the office.

"You ain't the boss either, Rollie Fingers, but I think I could take ya in a fight over it if you'd rather do it that way." Axel didn't answer that rhetorical question, just lifted the carburetor up and put it in the bed of Daryl's truck. Daryl went to the driver' side window and handed the directions to the young man. "Just be careful. Don’t' want no scratches on my truck."

The young man looked at him and smirked evilly. "Would that get me a spanking?" he said quietly so the other two men wouldn't hear. Daryl grinned back at him and winked as he pulled out of the parking lot. 

**********************************************************************************************************************************************************

The young man cranked the radio up and rolled all the windows down as he drove down the street. He hummed along to Guns N Roses, a band he never would have cared about if it hadn't been for Daryl. There were so many things he cared about now because of that man. He smiled every day, he laughed all the time, and he slept in the arms of someone who truly loved him; he never believed that his life would ever be this good, and he was willing to do anything to keep Daryl in it. 

He pulled into the driveway and turned off the truck. He could see the Thunderbird up on blocks, but the owner was nowhere in sight; he unloaded the carburetor and sat it on the workbench with the other loose parts. He would have just left at that point, but the guy had told Daryl he had a tip for him, so he went to the side door and knocked. "I'm here with the carburetor. I just laid in on the bench if that's okay," he yelled through the door. He heard loud, stomping footsteps coming to his way, and the blood drained from his face when the door opened.

"Well now, it is good to see you again," Ed said. The young man turned to walk back to the truck when Ed's hand shot out and grabbed him by the wrist. "You're not leaving until I get some payment from you." Ed pulled him into the house and threw him to the floor, the young man's head hitting the leg of the kitchen table. Ed was on him like a flash, but the young man was able to scramble away and crawled on his hands and knees into the living room, trying to escape. 

"You ain't got a damn place to go, whore. You can't get away from me, and I'm gonna get what I want." Ed grabbed him by the back of the shirt, ripping it down the center. 

"Ed! Please, don't do this!" The young man fought against the larger man, but was overpowered as Ed grabbed him by the neck and forced his body flat onto the floor. The fat bastard straddled the young man's hips, pulled his arms behind his back, and ground his fat, disgusting erection into his ass. Reaching over to the coffee table, Ed took a section of cord and tied it around the young man's wrists.

"You ain't got the money you stole from me, and you ain't got enough to pay me back; I'm gonna take my payment out on your tight ass." Ed yanked the man's pants down and spit on his dick.

"Oh God, Ed, no! Don't do this! Please" The young man cried and screamed, but was unable to move or free himself.

"Just relax," Ed said as he pushed the head of his dick past the tight ring of muscle. "This is gonna hurt a lot worse if you fight it. Not that I give a fuck about how much it hurts you, but if you scream, I'll gut you and your boyfriend." The young man was scared shitless before, but Ed's threat stopped his heart. He closed his eyes and quit squirming, allowing Ed to fuck him ruthlessly. He swallowed his sobs and filled his mind with thoughts of Daryl's face, his voice, and his gentle touch. Ed's agonizing assault continued for what seemed like forever, but was actually only a few minutes, and when he finally came in the young man's ass, he pulled out roughly and stood up.

"You tell anyone about this, and I mean anyone, and I will gut your boyfriend in front of you," Ed said as he sat in the recliner. "Your ass belongs to me until I say it don't. I want your ass back here twice a week; you're gonna suck my dick and bend over for me until I'm done with you. Now get your whore ass outta here."

The young man had tears streaming down his face as he got up from the floor and pulled his pants up. He wasted no time in running out the door. He peeled out of the driveway and headed back to work, but knew he couldn't show up looking like he did. He didn't want to explain why his shirt was ripped or why his eyes were red and puffy. He decided to stop to buy a new shirt; that would also give him time to calm his nerves and think of something to tell Daryl when he got back. He pulled into a parking space at the back of the parking lot and sat there trying to pull himself together, but couldn't. He laid his forehead on the steering wheel and sobbed.


	9. Suspicious Behavior

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Young man makes excuses, and Daryl is worried.

Chapter 9- Suspicious Behavior

 

The young man stayed in the truck as he sat outside of Baisden Brother's. He purchased a shirt identical to the one he had been wearing, so that would be one question he wouldn't have to answer. He knew he wouldn't be able to hide his anxiety from Daryl, and had come up with a story he hoped was believable. After five minutes, Daryl came out to check on him, worried because he hadn't come into the office. "Are you okay?" he asked the young man.

"No, I'm not." He didn't want to look Daryl in the eyes, because knew that would increase suspicion. He took a deep breath and stepped out of the truck.

Daryl leaned closer and put his hand on the small of the young man's back. "What happened? Are you hurt?" Fuck yes, he was hurting. It was taking all his self-control to not cry out in pain when he stood up. 

"No, I'm fine." he replied with no emotion. "I'm just still a little shocked, I guess." He hesitated before he spoke again. He was about to lie to the man he loved more than his own life. He would lie to protect him and spare his life, and he would do what Ed wanted to keep this man with him. "I almost got run off the bridge coming from town. Scared the fuck outta me, Daryl. I thought I was gonna go over the side." 

"Thank God you're alright." Daryl exclaimed. He wanted to take precious in his arms and kiss him, but he couldn't, not until they were safe at home. "Come inside and sit in the break room for a while. It'll help you calm down." The young man followed Daryl inside and sat at the table where they had fucked just two days ago.

"I'm so sorry Daryl," he said, on the verge of tears. "I love you so much and I don't ever want to hurt you."

Even though both Axel and Oscar were out on the lot, Daryl closed the door to give them some privacy. He sat down next to the young man and lifted his face to look him in the eyes. "I don't care about the truck; it's fine, you're fine. That piece of junk means jack shit to me compared to you. I can replace the fucking truck if I had to, but I could never replace you. Losing you would hurt me more than anything else this world could do to me. There's nothing to apologize for." 

The young man slid onto Daryl's lap and wrapped his arms around him tightly. "I just need you to know that you are the reason I wake up in the morning; the reason I still breathe. If you hadn't wanted me when I came back, I swear to God Daryl, I would have fucking killed myself. You are my life and I can't lose you." He was openly sobbing on Daryl's shoulder now, and the older man was worried. He assumed that the brush with death had elicited this reaction, and wanted to assure the younger man that he was loved and wanted.

"Baby, don't cry. I'm here, and I always will be. I ain't ever gonna leave you or ask you to leave. You're the only person whose ever really loved me and I can't live without you." Lifting his head, the young man kissed Daryl softly. "I'm gonna call a cab and you're going home. You're gonna rest and relax; you're gonna take a hot bath, or a nap, or a walk in the woods. Hell, fucking watch some porn and jerk your dick, I don't care. I just want you to be okay; whatever it takes."

The young man nodded his head. "I'll do anything you want Daryl. I just don't want you to be disappointed in me."

Daryl cradled the man's cheek in his palm and touched their foreheads together. "I could never be disappointed in you, precious. You're the smartest, kindest, most thoughtful man I've ever known." The men stood together and Daryl called for a cab. Daryl held the young man in his arms while they waited for his ride to arrive. After he was safely buckled in the backseat and heading towards home, Daryl released the breath he had been holding and went out on the lot to find Oscar and Axel. He was going to send them in to watch the office while he stripped a few cars. He needed to get his mind off what had happened and stop his racing thoughts from making it worse.

**********************************************************************************************************************************************************

Daryl called home before he left work to check up on his precious. The young man seemed to have calmed down quite a bit, stating he had taken a long walk in the woods and taken a hot, relaxing bath after. Daryl was going to stop and pick up burgers for dinner and get something special to help lift the young man's spirits. 

As he walked through the door, he was greeted with a chaste kiss on the cheek and a tight hug. He could tell the young man's mind was still occupied with what had happened earlier, and was only going through the motions to make Daryl happy. He took plates from the cabinet and Daryl filled them with food; their dinner conversation was stunted, consisting of small talk regarding work. After the dishes were in the washer, Daryl took a small bag from the counter where he had laid it when he arrived home.

"I got ya something; I hope it makes you feel better." He handed over the small paper bag and the young man opened it, and smiled. 

"Daryl, you didn't have to do this," he said, reaching into the bag and pulling out numerous candy bars. "I'll never be able to eat all of these."

"I thought we could relax on the couch, maybe watch a movie and share them," Daryl said hopefully.

"I'd like that," he replied and took Daryl's hand, leading him into the living room. "What would you like to watch?"

"Anything you want precious. As long as I can hold you in my arms, I don't care." The young man picked out his favorite comedy, Shawn of the Dead, and put it in the DVD player. He went to the couch and relaxed against Daryl's chest, who opened one of the candy bars and fed it to him. By the time the movie was over, they had consumed five bars of chocolate together and laughed until they cried. The young man was so grateful for the distraction, and had almost forgotten what had happened that day, until Daryl began to touch him. The other man's arms had made him feel safe and secure, but when Daryl's hands began to roam the bare skin under his shirt, he grew nervous. He wasn't afraid that Daryl would hurt him, but the touch reminded him of what Ed had done.

"Not tonight baby, okay? I'm still feeling a little off about what happened. Guess I'm still a little anxious about it," he told Daryl, praying the man would understand and not press him to talk about it.

"Of course, precious. You take all the time you need. I'll be here when you're ready." 

"Thank you, Daryl. I love you so much. I'm gonna go to bed; I think I just need to sleep."

"Sure, I'll be there in a bit." He watched the young man walk into their bedroom and sighed. He knew that there was something besides the near accident that was bothering the other man, but didn't want to force him into talking about it if he wasn't ready. He wished there was someone he could get advice from, because he hadn't ever been in a situation like this before and was scared of fucking everything up. He decided to give the young man his space and wait for him. He hoped that he wouldn't have to wait forever.


	10. Lunch Breaks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Merle is coming, and Daryl asks Young man to do something they might both regret.

Chapter 10

 

Daryl and young man struggled for a month to close the growing distance between them. They still slept in each other's arms, kissed each other good morning and goodnight, and talked; they just weren't talking about what was going on between them. The young man wasn't telling Daryl how much he wanted him, or how badly he wanted to fuck him or be fucked by him. He would accept affection from Daryl, but wouldn't initiate anything more than cuddling or a few scattered kisses along the man's neck and chest. Daryl felt abandoned again and wondered if his precious had found someone else and was too afraid to tell him. He had no idea where or when he could have met someone, but that didn't stop him from worrying about it. He tried not to let it show; the young man seemed to be bothered by something and Daryl didn't want to make the situation any worse for either of them. 

Daryl had also noticed some strange behavior from the young man. If Daryl was in the office, young man was out on the lot and vice versa. He didn't smile like he used to and his laughter was non-existent. It was as if all the happiness had been drained from him. Daryl was depressed and confused, and didn't know what to do. Also, young man had been leaving the lot during his lunch break. The weekend after his near accident, the young man went into town and bought a clunker car. Daryl had been working that day and was surprised when he got home. He had explained to Daryl that he was tired of being stuck at home during the day when the other man wasn't home, and Daryl believed him. He never told anyone where he was going, and when he returned an hour later, he looked like he had been run over by a train. Daryl's heart hurt every time he saw him, and he always asked after the young man when he returned, but was brushed off with an, "Everything is fine, Daryl. There's nothing for you to worry about."

So, Daryl stopped asking; he could see the changes in the young man and it scared him. He wondered if he had done something wrong, if his precious had lost interest in him, or realized that living with Daryl was not the kind of life he wanted. He wondered if the young man missed his old life; missed the excitement and the risk. Maybe he found Daryl to be too boring. Daryl also wondered if he had gotten into drugs. He had been with Merle through all his literal highs and lows; he had helped him through recovery and knew what all that mess looked like. He didn't dare bring it up in conversation though, he wasn't stupid enough to incite the young man to anger or risk losing him; although it felt that he was lost to him already. 

**************************************************************************************************************************************

One of the Saturdays Daryl was lucky enough to be off while young man worked, he spent in bed; sleeping on and off most of the morning. He moved to the other side of the bed and laid his head on his lover's pillow. He thought of the first time they had been together, when Daryl found him in the woods tangled in his rabbit snare. He thought of how the young man had touched him and fucked him, and how he had encouraged Daryl to do the same to him. He remembered those three months without him, and how he never wanted to feel that again. He cried over the most precious thing he had ever had in his life, and the conviction that he would lose it again. 

In the early afternoon, his cellphone rang. He groaned loudly and reached over to answer it. "Hello?" he said groggily.

"You still asleep baby brother? It's after fucking noon; you and your woman stay up all night fucking, or what?" Merle's obnoxious laughter boomed through the receiver. 

"Maybe, but that wouldn't be any of your business, now would it?"

"Aw, come on baby brother, a good fuck is supposed to make you feel good, not make you grouchy."

Daryl sighed. "I know, Merle. I'm sorry; I just don't feel good and I've been sleeping most of the day. How are you doing?"

"I'm doing great. I's just calling to tell you my bus will arrive at nine o'clock Monday morning. Are you gonna be able to pick me up, or will I need to get a cab?"

Daryl sat on the side of the bed. "Of course I'll pick you up. I'll just go into work late; nobody's gonna care. Is Andrea coming with you?"

"Naw, she's got some big case she's working on. Haven't been able to see her a lot lately because of it, but she wants to meet you."

"I can't wait to meet her, and I can't wait to see you either. I'll see you Monday morning." Daryl laid back on the bed, too exhausted to even take a piss.

"Alright baby brother. You get some rest and feel better, okay." Merle said, concern in his voice.

"I will. See ya Monday."

"See ya Monday, Daryl." He sat the phone back on the table and closed his eyes. Monday was too soon; he hadn't decided if he was gonna tell Merle about his "roommate" or not. The way things were going, he was leaning toward not.

**************************************************************************************************************************************

When the young man got home from work, Daryl was sitting at the kitchen table eating a sandwich. "Did you enjoy your day off?" He asked Daryl and sat down beside him.

"I guess, slept most of the day; talked to Merle." Daryl was nervous about the conversation he was about to have. He was afraid that when he asked the young man to leave, he would never come back.

"How is he? He still with that woman?"

"Yeah, he's fine; they're still together." He took a deep breath. "His bus gets here Monday morning. I'm gonna pick him up, bring him back here and go into work."

"Do you want me to come with you? I'd love to meet him.”

"Mmm, I didn't tell him about us." Daryl heard the young man huff in disappointment. "You don't know my brother; he may love me, but he ain't gonna like knowing that I'm living with a man and fucking him."

The young man hung his head and sighed loudly. "Okay, what do you want me to do?"

Daryl looked at him with sad eyes. "I don't know. I don't want you to leave, but I don't know what else to do. It would only be for a week. We'd still see each other at work, and talk on the phone. Please, don't be mad at me, I love you."

The young man extended his arm across the table and took Daryl's hand in his. "I know you do, Daryl, at least I hope you still do. I'll pack my stuff and go to a motel." He stood and walked to the bedroom. Daryl sat at the table, his appetite gone. His eyes teared up and his shoulders shook as they fell down his face. He had a bad feeling that this would be the end for them. When he returned to the kitchen, the young man had his duffle packed; he sat it on the floor and stood next to Daryl.

"I don't want to leave, Daryl. I wish I could stay with you and meet your brother, but I understand that you're not ready for this. I still love you and I always will." He pulled Daryl up from his chair and wrapped his arms around him, burying his face in the man's neck. Daryl held him tight as they both cried silently. When they pulled apart, Daryl kissed him softly. The young man moaned into his lover's mouth as they explored each other with their tongues. 

"I already miss you," Daryl told him. "I'm not gonna be able to think about anything but you until you come home."

"Me neither," the young man replied and picked up his bag. He kissed Daryl once more before he walked out the door and got in his car. Daryl stood on the porch and cried as he watched him drive away.


	11. Misunderstanding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daryl picks Merle up at the bus station and follows Young Man on his lunch break.

Chapter 11- Misunderstanding

 

Daryl pulled up at the bus station at eight forty-five sharp. He sat on the same bench he and Merle had been on when they waited on the bus that would take Merle away from him. He glanced back at the spot where he had first seen the young man sleeping and groaned to himself. The last two nights had been miserable for him. He hadn't eaten and had barely slept. The young man called him Saturday night after he was settled in his room at the motel, to let Daryl know where he was and that he was okay, and Daryl called him yesterday to check up on him and tell him how much he loved and missed him. They didn't talk long, and the conversation they did have was forced. Neither of them knew what to say to the other; all the words of love and affection weren't going to solve their problem, it seemed. 

Merle's bus pulled in at nine o'clock on the dot. And when Daryl extended his hand for his brother to shake, Merle grabbed it and pulled Daryl in for a hug. "It's been too damn long Daryl. This deserves a hug." They slapped each other on the back and laughed. "I'm starving," Merle said as they walked to the truck. "You got food at the house?"

"Yeah, but I'm buying breakfast this morning. I gotta go to work after I drop you off, and I want to spend a little time with ya first."

"That sounds good little brother, 'cause I'm gonna eat the whole menu."

**************************************************************************************************************************************

The young man lay alone in the Queen size bed his motel room boasted. He hadn't slept for two nights, and now he had to get up and go to work. He had stopped off at the liquor store after leaving Daryl, and had successfully stayed drunk since he checked in. Everything was crashing down on him; between what Ed was doing to him and Daryl sending him away, he seriously considered killing himself. Daryl didn't even know what was going on and didn't want him anymore. 

He told Daryl he understood, but he didn't. He would've told anyone who would listen that he loved Daryl more than his own life, regardless of the consequences. His mind was in a dark place and he couldn't help thinking that Daryl was embarrassed by him, and wondering if he should just leave town and never come back. The only reason he was letting Ed do what he was doing was to protect the man he loved; if he was gone, Ed wouldn't have a reason to hurt Daryl. 

His head was spinning, but he knew he had to get up; he would see Daryl today, but didn't know if he wanted to, or if Daryl wanted to see him. He took a shower and got dressed; he packed a small bag with a change of clothes in case things got too rough with Ed, and walked out the door. 

**************************************************************************************************************************************

Daryl arrived at work at ten thirty and went straight to the office to clock in. "Hey man," Axel greeted him. "Merle make it in okay?"

"Yeah, he's at the house taking it easy. Seems to be doing well; I think that woman is a good influence on him."

"You tell him Oscar and I are taking him out while he's here. Maybe he can give us some pointers on picking up women."

"I'll tell him, but he met her at the goddamn grocery store. If you two would lay off the fast food and go shopping, I bet you could find a woman who would teach you to cook." 

Axel rubbed his hands together. "I'm gonna go make me a grocery list," he said and walked into the break room.

Oscar laughed. "You've done it D, he ain't gonna rest now."

Daryl laughed back. "If he can't find a woman there, maybe he can at least pick up some healthy habits." Daryl liked Axel and Oscar, but was desperate to see his precious young man. "Y'all get those cars stripped?"

"He's out there working on the last one right now. Should be done by lunch." Oscar replied.

"I'm gonna check up on him, see if he needs some help." He walked to the back of the lot where he saw the young man taking the tires off the last vehicle. "Need some help?"

He looked up at Daryl, but didn't offer him a smile. "If you want to take those tires off the other side, I'd appreciate it." Daryl took a lug wrench from the standing tool box and went to the passenger's side.

"I've missed you," he told the young man.

"I miss you too Daryl. How's your brother?"

"He's fine. We're going to the bar tonight; I'd love to see you there." Daryl said, hopefully.

"I don't think so. I wouldn't want your brother to catch me staring at you." Daryl didn't know what to say, so he didn't say anything. The two men finished their task in relative silence. When they were done and had taken what was left of the car off the jack, the young man looked at his watch. "It's time for lunch; I'll be back in an hour."

Daryl stopped him as he walked away. "Hey, wait. Can I go with you? It'd be nice to spend some time alone."

"I don't think so. I have a bunch of errands to run; it wouldn't give us time to do anything. I'll see you when I get back." Daryl watched him walk back to the office and got angry. He had enough of this shit, and was going to get to the bottom of it. 

**************************************************************************************************************************************

He gave the young man a two-minute head start before he slowly pulled out of the parking lot. There were a few cars between them, so he wasn't afraid of being seen. Daryl followed him through town and onto a side road full of houses. The street name was familiar to him, but he couldn't recall the significance. He slowed down to keep enough distance between them, but could still see the vehicle ahead pull into a driveway. He watched the young man get out and knock on the side door. He disappeared inside when the door opened, but Daryl was unable to see who answered it. He looked around the property and saw a 1968 Thunderbird on blocks. Then he remembered why the street name has sounded so familiar to him. He became angry and felt betrayed when he realized his suspicious were correct. He whipped the truck around, screeching the tires as he sped back to work.

**************************************************************************************************************************************

An hour later, the young man returned, wearing a different shirt and pants. Daryl had sent Axel and Oscar out on the lot to do inventory, knowing it would take a few hours and he planned to confront the young man when he returned. "Did you get all your errands done?" He asked in a rough, angry voice.

"Yeah, I did. Is something wrong?"

"I don't know. Are you doing some business on the side?" Daryl asked.

The young man froze in place. "What are you talking about, Daryl?"

"I'm just wondering if your delivering parts, or something else. I followed you today. Is that where you go when you leave for lunch?"

"Daryl . . . I . . ."

"What? You can explain? You can tell me why you've been going to a customer's house on your lunch breaks, and why you barely let me touch you anymore? Huh? If you've got an explanation for that, I'm all fucking ears!"

"It's not what you think."

"I think you're fucking him. Am I wrong?"

Technically, Daryl was right, although it was the other way around. There was no way he could deny it and the other man believe him. "I don't know what to say; I'm sorry."

"You're fucking sorry? You swore that you wouldn't leave me again! You said you loved me! You fucking lied to me! Don't bother coming back to the fucking house; you want this to be over, it's over!" 

The young man didn't know how to respond, but his anger at Daryl's assumption caused him to speak without thinking, and he stepped up to Daryl until he was inches from his face. "You're the one who asked me to leave because you're too much of a coward to tell anybody about us. I'm sorry I embarrass you; you won't ever have to worry about me again. I'll come to work and go back to the hotel. As soon as I can get a bus ticket, I'm outta here." He threw the door open and got back in his car, leaving Daryl in his dust.


	12. A Drunken Confession

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daryl and Merle have a heart to heart

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a very short one and focuses solely on Daryl and Merle; just two more to go. Thank you to everyone who has commented and left kudos. I love you guys!!!

Chapter 12- A Drunken Confession

Daryl was both angry and sad when he got home that night. He sat in the truck for a few minutes before going in, to calm himself down so Merle wouldn't ask too many questions. He walked through the door with a smile on his face and another hug for his brother. "What'd you do today Merle? You get some rest?"

"I slept for a while, went for a walk. You had some rabbits in your snares, so I brought 'em back and prepped 'em. Meat is in the freezer. How was your day?"

"It could have been better. Let me jump in the shower and change, then we can head over to Lucky's." Daryl said as he headed to the bathroom. 

"I'll be waiting for ya; better hurry up; I'm thirsty." Merle replied and sat patiently on the couch.

**************************************************************************************************************************************

Merle waited until Daryl was starting to get his buzz on before he brought up the elephant in the room. "What's wrong, little brother? You know I can see when you're upset no matter how hard you try to hide it."

"Ain't nothing wrong Merle; not anything you'd want to hear about anyway."

Merle motioned for the waitress to bring them each two more beers. "I know we don't talk about our personal shit, but you helped me get clean and stay clean. If something is bothering you, I want to help."

The waitress sat four glasses of beer on the table and walked away. Daryl picked one up and nearly chugged the whole thing at once. "We broke up, well, I was the one who broke up."

"Oh yeah," Merle said. "That little girlie you met. She still working here?"

Daryl was sufficiently drunk enough at this point to not realize what was coming out of his mouth. "No, SHE don't work here. I met HIM in the woods the day you left for Chicago."

Merle would like to say he was shocked by Daryl's admission, but he wasn't, not really. He had tried to get Daryl laid since the boy was fourteen, and was never successful. "I see; you find him wandering around lost?"

"No, he got caught in a snare; had a wire sticking out of his leg. I took him back to the cabin and fixed him up. He spent the night."

"I see," Merle said curiously. "You two been together this whole time?"

Daryl shook his head. "He was gone the next morning when I woke up. He came back about three months ago saying that he couldn't stop thinking about me, and that I was the only good thing that ever happened to him. It was a fucking lie Merle; every fucking word of it." He picked up another beer and drained it in record time.

"Okay, tell me exactly what happened little brother."

"I got him a job at the salvage yard, and for the last month he's been leaving the lot at lunchtime, not telling anyone where he was going. He used to always have lunch with me, or the four of us would all go somewhere together. Whenever I'd ask him about it, he'd say there was nothing to worry about or that he'd been running errands. I followed him today; he went to one of our customer's house. When he got back to work, I asked him about it; I asked him if he was fucking that guy. He didn't deny it Merle."

"Well, what did he say?"

"He said it wasn't what I thought it was, but that's all. If it's not what I think it is, why wouldn't he tell me what it is?"

"I don't know, Daryl. Do you love him?"

"I ain't never loved anyone before, not until him. I'm ain't gonna be able to stop loving him Merle." Daryl was almost in tears again.

"Do you think he still loves you?"

"He said he did, but how the hell am I supposed to believe that?"

"You need to find out what's going on. You may not want to hear what's really going on with him, but you need to know. Maybe it ain't as bad as you think it is. You have to talk to him, make up, and bring him back home."


	13. Here He Comes to Save the Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daryl finds out the truth, and unleashes holy hell. Merle and Young Man are officially introduced.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really, really like this chapter. I hope y'all do to. I left something special for you KrissyG927.

Chapter 13

Daryl woke up the next morning with a horrible hangover. He hadn't had one of those since before the young man returned. He literally fell out of bed, hitting the floor with a thud, and heard Merle laughing from the hallway. He got up, put on a pair of pajama pants, and stumbled out of his room. He had almost forgotten what happened last night, but when he saw Merle fixing pancakes and bacon, the realization of what he had confessed slammed into him. "Uh Merle, about what I said last night."

"You don't have to explain anything to me Daryl, and you definitely don't have anything to be ashamed of. Sit down and eat your breakfast. I found this pancake recipe in the pantry under the mix. "

"They're the best pancakes in the world, Merle. You'll love 'em."

"I guess you didn't get that recipe from Ladies Home Journal, did ya?" Merle smirked.

"It's his recipe. He must've forgotten it was here. Listen, about what I said last night. I didn't ever mean for you to find out, I'm sorry."

"You don't have anything to apologize for Daryl. How long have you known?"

Daryl laughed. "Since you snuck me into that whore house when I was fourteen. Hell, the woman you threw at me was the one who clued me in."

"Damn," Merle said and shook his head. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I knew how you felt about gays; I knew how daddy felt about 'em. I didn't want to die, and after what happened to Buck, I wasn't ever gonna tell anybody."

"I want you to know I didn't have anything to do with what happened to Buck. That was all daddy and his bunch. It's probably a good thing you didn't say anything though. But you need to know, that I love you no matter what you are, or who you are. You're my brother, and that trumps anything else in this world."

"Thank you. I was so scared for you to find out, I asked him to stay in a motel while you were here. I could tell it hurt him a lot; it hurt me too. He promised he'd never leave me again, and I promised I'd never ask him to. I fucked up Merle; I don't know what I did, but I fucked up."

"You remember what I told you last night?" Merle asked as he took the now empty dishes to the sink. Daryl nodded his head. "I'm gonna say it again, you need to talk to him, give him a chance to tell you what's going on with him. If you two love each other as much as I think you do, you can't let anything tear ya apart. If you find something good, you've got to hold onto it."

Daryl smiled at his brother. "How did you get so wise, Merle?"

"I found something worth holding onto, baby brother."

**************************************************************************************************************************************

The young man was already out on the lot with Oscar by the time Daryl got to work. Axel was sitting in the break room with an Egg McMuffin and a coffee. "I brought one for everybody, help yourself."

"Thanks Axel, but Merle cooked breakfast this morning. Let somebody else have it." 

"Merle cooked? And your still alive?" The man asked, feigning shock.

Daryl laughed. "I know, I know. It's still early yet. We'll see how things go." He went back into the office and turned on the computer. "They out on the lot?" Daryl yelled.

"Yeah, he didn't even clock in; just got out of his car and went to the back. I punched him in, didn't want to see him get shorted on his check."

"That was nice of ya Axel. Have you talked to him at all?" Daryl was still concerned about the young man, even though they were no longer together. 

"No, Oscar went straight out there after he clocked in. They haven't come back yet."

"Alright, I'll let 'em stay out as long as they want. Why don't you help me put the inventory numbers in the system?”

Daryl and Axel worked until lunchtime on the inventory and they hadn't seen hide nor hair of Oscar or the young man. Daryl was getting worried, but tried not to let it show. Just as he was about to go out and check on them, Oscar walks into the office. Daryl waited for the young man to follow him in, but he didn't. "He left already; said to tell you he'd be back in an hour." Daryl hung his head and went into the breakroom. 

Axel poked his head in the door. "Hey, we're going to Lucky's; wanna come with?"

"Naw, I'm gonna work on the inventory; think I'll eat that muffin thing, if that's okay." He opened the refrigerator door and took out the McDonalds bag and a bottle of water. 

"Yeah sure," Axel replied. "Want us to bring ya something"

"No, I'm fine. We'll switch up places after lunch, alright. Give you two a chance to cool down for a while."

"Sounds good. See ya in an hour." Daryl waited until he heard the front door shut and Axel's car drive off. He sat at the table and buried his face in his hands. He was the one who told the young man not to come home; he was the one who ended the relationship. Daryl had no right to be upset by the young man's actions, but that didn't keep him from crying like a baby. He had hoped his precious would choose him over Ed, that he would tell Daryl he had made a stupid mistake and beg Daryl to forgive him and take him back, but he didn't. Daryl considered forgiving him anyway and asking him to come home; part of him would be willing to allow the young man his affair if it meant he would still be with him. 

Daryl felt humiliated by what he had allowed to happen. If he had just pushed the young man to talk about what was bothering him, maybe they would have worked things out, but he was too much of a pussy. He didn't want to rock the boat or be the cause of any fight or disagreement, and it had caused the end of their relationship. He reveled in his tears and sorrow until he heard the front door slam open. Startled, he quickly wiped his eyes and ran out into the office, where he saw the young man standing inside the door, cut, bruised, and bleeding.

He collapsed on the floor at Daryl's feet, and the older man cried out as he scooped the young man in his arms and carried him to the breakroom. "What the hell happened to you? Did Ed do this?" Daryl asked as he took a bottle of water from the refrigerator and a roll of paper towels the clean him off. "Tell me the goddamn truth; I don't fucking care what it is. If he did this to you, I'll kill him." 

He looked into Daryl's eyes and saw the tears that stained his cheeks. The young man touched Daryl's face and let his own tears fall. "I told him I wasn't gonna let him do it anymore; that I wasn't gonna let him touch me anymore. He got mad and flipped out on me." Daryl continued to clean the cuts on the young man's cheeks and forehead. 

"Okay," Daryl said and kissed him sweetly, mindful of the cut on the younger man's lip. "Start from the beginning. Tell me how this all started."

"I knew him before I ever met you. Couple of years ago, we were together. He had an ass ton of money and liked spending it on me as long as I sucked his dick and let him fuck me, so I did. Then I got sick of it and left him in the middle of the night; I took a hundred thousand dollars when I went." 

"Holy shit," Daryl exclaimed. "What were you thinking?"

"I was thinking that it would buy me some time before I had to let myself get fucked by some other tool in exchange for food and shelter. It's how I survived before you; I don't have any skills or experience doing anything else but being somebody's toy. That's why I came back Daryl; I couldn't do that anymore and I didn't want to be with anyone else but you." The young man took a few deep, calming breathes and continued. "He found me that night at the club; he was the one who beat me up. Told me he was gonna make sure I paid him back what I owed him. Didn't see him again until I delivered that fucking carburetor." He began to sob uncontrollably, and Daryl held him close, being careful of his injuries.

"I didn't know it was him; he told me he was gonna take what I owed him." He clung desperately to Daryl and was able to subdue his tears long enough to make his confession. He lifted his head from Daryl's shoulder and looked him in the eyes, wanting to see his lover's reaction to what he had to tell him. "He raped me; that's why I was so upset when I came back to work. There was no accident." 

Daryl's rage consumed him and lit an unholy fire in his soul. Ed was gonna die today, that wasn't even a question, but he wanted to make sure the young man was safe and taken care of first. "Why didn't you tell me? This isn't your fault; you think I would've stopped loving you? I will never stop loving you."

"He told me if I didn't come back at least twice a week, let him do what he wanted, or if I told you anything about it, he'd kill you in front of me. I had to do it; I’m not gonna risk your life just for me." 

Daryl shook his head fervently. "I would've killed him first. You're mine, and no one is allowed to touch you but me." He stood up and took his cell phone out of his pocket; pacing back and forth, he dialed Merle's number and waited for an answer. "Merle, I need your help."

"What happened baby brother? This have to do with your man?"

"Yeah, it does. I need you to come to the lot and pick me up. I got something I gotta do, and I'm gonna need your help."

"You got it; you know I'll do anything for you and your boy. Give me ten minutes and I'll be there," Merle said. He had no idea what was going on or what was going to happen, but just to be on the safe side, he grabbed his gun and his hunting knife and ran out the door. 

After Daryl got off the phone with his brother, he heard the door open again and Axel and Oscar come into the breakroom. Both men gasped loudly when they saw the young man sitting there and the state he was in. "What the fuck happened to you?" Axel asked without thinking. 

"Doesn't matter what happened," Daryl responded. "I need you two to take him to the hospital."

"No!" the young man shouted as he tried to stand up. "No hospitals, no cops Daryl. I'll be fine; I ain't talking about this with no one. You know they'd make me explain this, and I ain't gonna do it. Just let me rest; I'll be fine."

Daryl stared him down, but relented to his request. He understood how the young man felt about explanations; he would have to give one too after he dealt with Ed. "Alright," he looked at the two men standing in the doorway. "You two, take him to the motel and get his stuff, then take him to my place. There's a spare key buried under the bush by the front window. Get him settled and don't fucking leave him until I get there, understand?"

Oscar winked at Daryl. "Gotcha Daryl. We'll take care of your man, don’t worry."

"What the fuck is that supposed to mean?" Daryl asked aggressively.

Axel entered the room and helped the young man to walk. "I know you think I ain't too bright Daryl, but even I noticed the way you two look at each other. I ain't as ignorant as I seem. You don't have to worry about him; ain't nothing or nobody gonna get near him as long as he's with us. You go do what you got to do."

Daryl only nodded, too shocked to actually say words, and helped the two men get his precious into Axel's truck. As they were pulling out, Merle pulled in. He flung the truck door open and waited for Daryl to get in. After locking up the office, he jumped into the truck and buckled his seat belt. "Alright baby brother, where we headed?" Daryl told him how to get to Ed's house and Merle took off like a bat outta hell. "What's going on Daryl? You talk to him?"

"Yeah, he came back from lunch all beat to hell. Said Ed did it 'cause he told he wasn't gonna let him touch him no more. Turns out he knew Ed a couple years ago; long story short, he stole money from him. Ed raped him Merle; told him if he didn't let him do what he wanted he'd kill me. He let that disgusting motherfucker touch him just to protect me."

"What do you plan on doing about it?" Merle asked, already knowing full well what Daryl's answer would be.

"I'm gonna kill him, gut him and feed him to the coyotes."

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When Merle pulled into the drive, there wasn't a soul around. The brothers careful checked the yard, but saw no one. Daryl walked up to the side door and looked in; he tried the door, finding it unlocked and let himself in. They looked in every room until they heard the distinct sound of moaning coming from behind a closed door. Merle took the lead, and brandishing the hunting knife, burst into the room.

"You must be Ed," Merle said. "Sorry to interrupt your alone time, but my brother's got business with you." Daryl came in the room just as the man let go of his dick.

"You're a disgusting pile of shit, Ed." Daryl said as he took the knife from his brother, and held the knife at Ed's throat. "I'm gonna beat the holy fuck out of you, rip you apart, and feed you to the dogs. You're not gonna die fast or easy you fat fuck. I'm gonna take my time with you, and smile while I'm doing it."

"He's not worth it," Ed replied. "He's nothing but a whore; he doesn't love you. He's gonna skip out on you and take everything you have; just like he did me." Daryl dug the edge of the knife into Ed's throat, causing a small trickle of blood to drip down his neck. 

"I'm gonna kill you for what you did to him." Daryl pulled Ed off the bed, the man's pants hanging around his ankles, and dragged him into the living room. He looked at his brother, communicated with him the way they always did, without words. It was more than enough for Merle to know what to do, and he lifted his big boot and slammed it down onto Ed's chest. The brothers took turns kicking him in the ribs, kidneys and face. Ed begged for his life, but they weren't listening to him. Finally, when it appeared Ed was either dead or unconscious, Merle bent down to check for signs of life. 

"He's still breathing baby brother, but just barely. You want to finish him off, or let him die on his own?" Daryl stood over Ed's body, satisfied with what he'd done. "I ain't going to prison for this motherfucker." He bent down over the body and grabbed him by the shirt collar. "Ed, I'm gonna let you live, if you can. I ever see you, or you ever contact him again, and I will not stop next time. Do you understand?" Ed's eyes were too swollen to open, but he gingerly nodded his head, acknowledging that he did indeed understand what Daryl had said.

As they pulled out of the driveway, Daryl called Axel's phone to check up on the young man. "He's okay Daryl," the man told him. "He's real upset though; couldn't get him in the shower and he won't eat nothing. Just been in your room with the door closed. We haven't bothered him."

"Alright, Merle and I are on our way home. We should be there soon."

"You need a cleanup crew? Oscar and I can help you out if you need it." he offered.

"No man, but thanks. I appreciate the offer. Just tell him I'm on my way,"

"I will. See ya in a bit."

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Daryl burst through the front door and made a beeline for his bedroom. The young man was sitting on the edge of the bed crying as quietly as he could. Daryl fell to his knees in front of him and brought his mouth down for a kiss. It was slow and passionate, and Daryl tried to put every emotion he was feeling into it. When their lips parted, the young man rested his forehead against Daryl's.

"Daryl . . . I . . ."

"You don't have to say a damn thing. You don't ever have to talk about this if you don't want to. No one will ever know what happened. I took care of Ed; you won't ever see him again, that is a promise."

"What did you do Daryl? Did you kill him?"

Daryl shook his head. "No, he was alive when we left, but just barely. We're both safe now, and I want everyone to know how much I love you. Come on, there's someone I want you to meet." He took the young man's hand and led him to the kitchen where Merle, Axel, and Oscar were having a beer and talking. Daryl cleared his throat as they stood in the doorway.

"Uh, this is my brother, Merle. Merle, this is Matthew, my uh . . "

"Boyfriend," Matthew said and finished Daryl's sentence. "It's good to meet you Merle. Are you okay with this?" he asked as his finger moved between him and Daryl. 

Merle clapped Matthew on the back, and the man winced. "I'm more than alright with this. As long as you make Daryl happy and don't do anything to hurt him, I'll stay alright with it."

"Don't worry Merle. I love him more than my own life; I can't live without him." He carefully put his arm around Daryl's waist and smiled. Oscar and Axel smiled.

"I knew I was right," Axel said, shaking his head. "Why don't you come out with us Merle. We’ll go to Lucky's; drinks are on me."

"I'm surprised you ain't got a boyfriend Axel. You sure know how to sweet talk a man" He said and slapped him on the back. As they left the house, he turned back to his brother and Matthew. "You boys do what you need to, take your time; I'll probably end up on Axel's couch. See y'all in the morning."

When Merle was gone, Daryl turned in Matthew's arms to face him. "How do you feel?"

"Sore as fuck," he replied and relaxed into Daryl's embrace.

"I'm gonna run you a nice, hot bath and take care of you; I'll always take care of you." As Daryl adjusted the water temperature, Matthew began taking off his clothes. His pants, shoes, and socks came off easily, but Daryl had to help him with his shirt. As he gingerly crouched down into the steaming water, he hissed. "Is it too hot?" Daryl asked, concerned.

"No, it's perfect," Matthew replied. "Everything is perfect now." He closed his eyes and sunk down into the water. Daryl watched him relax and ran his eyes over the man's body. It had been over a month since they had been together, and Daryl wanted so badly to get in the tub and sink down on Matthew's dick, but the other man didn't need that; Daryl wouldn't blame him if he didn't want to be touched for a long time. Right now, he just wanted to make him feel safe, comfortable and happy. He smiled to himself; he could breathe easier knowing that Matthew was home where he belonged and that they would be sharing their bed again. His heart and mind felt at ease knowing that Ed was gone and he had avenged his lover. 

Matthew opened his eyes and saw Daryl staring back at him. "What are you thinking about?"

"I'm just so glad that you're home and safe, and things are good between us again," Daryl said in a soft voice. "I missed you so much."

"I'm sorry, it's all my fault. I should have known that you would keep me safe and that you would have taken care of Ed, but I was scared. Everything he said about me is true, was true, back then. What happened between him and I before, it was the same way. He's a monster and one of the reasons I took the money was because he loved it so much. I wanted to hurt him like he hurt me, and that's the only way I knew how. I thought I deserved to be treated that way, until I met you."

Daryl picked up the washrag and dipped it in the still hot water. "May I?" He asked, and Matthew nodded. Daryl began to wash his body, being careful of his bruises. "You deserve all the love and happiness this world has, and I can only hope that I can give you some of it. For all that I've been through in my life, I understand how it feels to think you don't deserve anything good. I felt that way my whole life, until I met you." He leaned down and took Matthew's lips, they moaned into each other's mouths and became hard for each other. 

"I want you Daryl. I want to feel you inside me; I want you to make love to me," Matthew whispered in Daryl's lips.

"We can't; your ribs are bruised. I don't want to hurt you."

Matthew shook his head. "I know you would never hurt me, not like Ed did. I don't even care if it hurts; it's been too long and I need you."

Daryl smiled at him. "I need you too, precious." He stood and helped his lover out of the bath, and grabbing gauze and tape from the closet, he led the young man to their bedroom. After wrapping Matthew's ribs, Daryl undressed and laid down beside him on the bed. "Are you sure about this; it can wait if you're not ready."

Matthew reached out and caressed Daryl's cheek. "I'm sure Daryl. You're precious to me too. Just go slow."

"If you want me to stop, you tell me. I won't mind at all." Matthew nodded at him and Daryl straddled his lower legs. The young man was already hard and leaking, so Daryl bent over his cock and licked a line from his base to the tip. Matthew's body shivered; his dick hadn't been touched in over a month and he didn't think he would last past a blow job. 

"Fuck, Daryl. I missed you so much; missed your mouth. Oh God!" Matt exclaimed as Daryl’s mouth enveloped him as far as he could go. Pumping the remaining length with his hand, Daryl sucked him gently and focused on the leaking head. The young man tried hard to keep his body as still as he could, but it was impossible. His orgasm was already building, and he had to stop Daryl before it was too late. "Daryl, stop. I want to come with you inside me, please."

Daryl sat back on his knees and looked down at the beautiful man beneath him. Matthew's face was flushed and his hair was all over the place. He looked as if he was about to come, and Daryl took a moment to admire what he saw. Matthew moaned loudly, "Daryl, please. Don't make me wait anymore."

Daryl leaned down and kissed him passionately, then reached into the drawer and took out a bottle of lube and a condom. He ripped open the small packet and rolled the condom over his hard cock. He lubed up two fingers and circled the other man's entrance, causing him to moan and rock his body. "I'm gonna put a finger in, okay," he said, wanting to make sure everything was still okay.

"Just do it, please." Matthew begged.

Daryl pushed one finger in to the first knuckle and moved it around, then continued until it was as far as it could go. The young man was panting like an animal; he hadn't felt anything pleasurable in over a month, and certainly not the touch of his lover. When Daryl inserted his second finger, Matthew decided he'd had enough. "Goddammit Daryl. Stop teasing me; I'm ready. I'm ready for you; want your cock."

Daryl slowly removed his fingers and lathered his covered cock with lube. He held the young man's legs up and wrapped them around his waist. Matthew visibly winced at the movement, and Daryl let him go. "That's it; we're not doing this." he said.

"No! Please. I just have to get in the right position. Let's just try again." Daryl relented and helped Matthew adjust himself. Once he was given the go ahead, he pushed into his lover slowly, feeling his tight hole stretch around him. Daryl knew this wasn't going to last long, but that was probably a good thing. Once he bottomed out, he moved lazily inside Matthew. They moaned together and their hands roamed each other's body. Daryl held his lover's torso tight to keep him from moving around too much. When the young man's hips moved up to meet his trusts, Daryl pushed deeper inside him to hold him still. "I need to come Daryl. Please make me come."

Daryl's hips lunged quicker and deeper, grazing Matthew's prostate with each thrust. "Touch yourself baby. I love to see you touch yourself." The young man pumped his cock as his lover requested and soon erupted like a volcano all over his hand and stomach. The sight of Matthew coming undone beneath him was his end. He exploded inside the young man, his name falling from his lips. He pulled out and laid by his lover's side. "I love you so fucking much, baby." Daryl said breathlessly.

"I love you too Daryl. More than I ever thought I could." Once they had come down from their high, Daryl helped Matthew into bed, making sure he was supported by pillows. 

"Nothing is ever going to keep us apart again, precious. I'm never letting you out of my sight."

Matthew snuggled into Daryl's warmth as much as he could. "Good," he said, yawning. "I don't want to be."


	14. A Question

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys go to Chicago for a special event; happy ending ensues.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who gave this story a chance. To everyone who left comments and kudos, I love you all. This is the happy ending that you've all been waiting for. I'm sorry to see this one end, but our boys are happy and in love; you can't beat that.

Chapter 14

 

One Year Later

 

Matthew was throwing socks and underwear in his duffel bag, while Daryl was running around the cabin frantically looking for something. "Baby, what in the hell are you doing? We have to be at the airport in an hour. Merle's gonna beat our asses if we miss our flight."

"I can't find my goddamn vest; I can't leave without my vest." Daryl yelled back at him. Matthew smiled and walked to the door of their bedroom. 

"I've already packed it. Andrea ain't gonna let you wear it at the wedding, though."

"Wasn't gonna wear it to the wedding, just on the flight," Daryl replied as he stepped into the room. They were set to fly to Chicago for Merle and Andrea's wedding. He had proposed to her when he returned from Georgia, not expecting her to say yes so soon. Daryl was, of course, his best man and he asked Matthew to be a groomsman. He considered the young man to be a part of their family, and wanted to include him in everything.

"Did you pack everything? Is there anything we forgot?" Daryl asked. He was nervous, he had never flown before and was a little scared.

"I've got everything, baby. Don't worry." He took Daryl's hand in his. "Do you need me to help you relax?"

"We don't have time for that; we'll be late." Daryl said, but Matthew could tell by the sound of his voice that he wanted the help.

"We won't be late. It won't take long; I'm very efficient, you know." He unfastened Daryl's pants and got on his knees. "I'm gonna make you come so hard, you'll sleep the whole flight." He started pumping Daryl's dick at the base in short, fast strokes, then put his mouth around the tip. Daryl was already feeling relaxed and corded his fingers through Matthew's hair. 

"God baby, you know just how to work me, don't ya?" Daryl said as his head rolled back onto his shoulders.

The young man hummed around his cock and smiled up at him. Matthew swirled his tongue and rolled Daryl's balls between his fingers. Daryl moaned between gritted teeth and shot his load down the young man's throat. "Fuck, you always know how to make me feel better precious," Daryl said.

Matthew stood up and kissed his boyfriend. "I absolutely love sucking your dick baby. On the off chance you don't sleep the whole way to Chicago, maybe we could join the Mile High Club. What do ya say?"

Daryl laughed as he tucked himself back into his jeans. "I’d love to mark that off my bucket list," he said as he grabbed the bag from the bed. "The cab should be here any minute now, and we gotta little ways to walk to meet him." They locked up the cabin and walked to meet the cab holding hands.

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Daryl did, in fact, sleep through the entire flight. Matthew didn't complain; he hated seeing Daryl anxious, and although he had been looking forward to joining the Mile High Club, he could wait until the return flight. Merle met them at the airport and took them straight to the motel he'd book them in; Andrea's sister was coming in for the wedding and would be staying at the same place. Once they were checked in, the three men went to the bar that Merle frequented. Everyone was meeting for the rehearsal and dinner that night, but it was just early afternoon and they had enough time for a couple beers and bar burgers. 

 

Merle dropped the two men off at the motel and went back to the house he and Andrea had bought. They would be back to pick them and Amy up in four hours, so Daryl and Matthew took the time to rest and relax. Matthew took off his shirt and pants and laid down on his side. Daryl did the same and spooned up behind his boyfriend.

"I'm sorry I slept the whole time; we missed the Mile High Club," Daryl said and held Matthew tighter.

"That's alright Daryl. We can hit it on the way back. I'm glad you were able to sleep; I hate it when you're anxious and I can't do anything to help you."

"You did help me, before it got bad. You're the only person ever give a shit about me like that. It's one reason why I love you so much." Daryl moved his hand down Matthew's body to his dick and cupped him over his boxer briefs. "I want to show you how much I love you."

Matthew moaned when he felt Daryl's strong hand squeeze his cock. "Show me baby. Show me everything." Daryl reached into the young man's shorts and began to stroke his cock. Matthew reached behind him and held onto Daryl's head as the man pumped him and kissed his shoulder blades. Daryl passed his thumb over the tip and tugged at the head, but the young man needed more.

"Give me your mouth Daryl; suck my dick." Daryl rolled Matthew onto his back and moved over him. He stared the young man down with hungry eyes and ripped the boxers from his body. He licked the slit with the flat of his tongue and Matthew shivered beneath him. Daryl slowly took him into his mouth, his eyes never looking away. When he hit the back of Daryl's throat, he rolled Matthew’s balls in his hand like dice. 

Matthew gasped and put one hand on the back of Daryl's head and fisted the sheets with the other. "Oh God, oh God. Fuck, I love you. Shit that feels so fucking good." The young man moaned and moved his hips up into Daryl's face as he held him in place. Daryl loved that he could do this to his lover; he wanted to taste him and swallow him down, but he also wanted to feel Matthew inside him. He moaned around the thick cock assailing his mouth when he tasted the pre come leaking from the tip. Matthew looked down at Daryl and saw the tears at the corner of his eyes; he fucking loved seeing him like that, but wanted to bury his cock inside Daryl's ass, so he pulled the man off him. "Want to be in your ass Daryl. I want you to ride my cock."

"Fuck yes," Daryl replied and moved from the bed to Matthew's duffel to retrieve the lube. He climbed up Matthew's body and kissed him roughly, and pouring some of the lube onto his fingers, he reached around and began to stretch himself. Matthew sat up in bed to get a better view of Daryl; he pumped his dick while watching the man prepare himself. They stared at each other with heat in their eyes until Daryl couldn't take it anymore and positioned himself over Matthew's rock hard dick. Daryl sunk down slowly and they groaned together as Daryl's ass cheeks met his lover’s pelvis. "Goddamn you feel so good inside me," Daryl moaned and ground himself onto Matthew. They moved to meet each other as sweat poured from their body. Daryl moved faster and harder on Matthew's cock and the young man took Daryl's dick and began to stroke it.

"Come for me baby; come all over me," Matthew said with uneven breaths. Daryl spilled hot come over the other man's hand and stomach as his body shook with ecstasy. When Daryl was spent, Matthew took him by the neck and pulled him down for another heated kiss and came hard inside him. Daryl lay on top of his lover as their heartbeats returned to normal, then slid off him and against his side. "Goddamn, I'll never get enough of you Daryl."

The older man looked up at him and smiled. "I'll never get enough of you either precious. We should probably take a nap now. Merle will be here in three hours, or less knowing him, and you have worn me out." 

Matthew laughed. "You always wear me out Daryl," he said and kissed the other man sweetly. Cradling the man's head on his chest, Matthew pulled him close and signed contently, and closing his eyes, they fell asleep together.

**************************************************************************************************************************************

Four hours later, Daryl, Matthew, Merle, Amy, and Andrea, along with the couple’s other friends were standing inside the church talking with the pastor. Daryl and Matthew voluntarily stayed away from each other while in the church and presence of the pastor, but didn't take their eyes off each other the whole rehearsal. Daryl stood between his brother and his boyfriend, noticing that one of the bridesmaids kept looking at Matthew. She was young, cute and blonde. She and her sister were both in the wedding, but the older sister seemed to have her eyes on the young Asian man standing on the other side of Matthew. As they all walked back up the aisle, arm in arm with the bridesmaids, Daryl noticed the blonde pulling Matthew closer, and smirked. 

After rehearsal was over, everyone met at the steak house down the street for the dinner. Daryl and Matthew sat next to each other, while the blonde girl grabbed the chair on the other side of the young man. Throughout the meal the blonde's hand kept ending up on Matthew's thigh, and when the dishes had been cleared, he leaned over and whispered in Daryl's ear. "Let's go out and smoke." He was assuming by the girl’s wholesome look, that she wasn't a smoker and would not follow them outside.

"Yeah, sure." Daryl motioned to his brother that they were stepping outside and the two men left the table.

Once they were outside under the awning, both men lit up. "Thanks," Daryl said. "I was dying in there. I love my brother, but I hate this formal shit." 

"Hey, I wanted to get out of there too. Blondie couldn't keep her hands off me." Matthew said.

Daryl smirked. "I saw the way she was looking at you during the rehearsal, and when she plopped her ass next to yours, I wondered what she'd try."

"She tried to grab my dick; keeps running her hand up my leg further every time." 

"Well, we'll just have to let her know that you're taken," Daryl said and crushed his cigarette under his dress loafer. He took the young man by the hand and led him back into the restaurant. When they arrived back at the entrance to the private room Merle had booked, they waited until everyone turned to look at them, then Daryl took Matthew in his arms and kissed him languidly. Merle and Andrea applauded the public display as the little blonde girl blushed with embarrassment and excused herself to the bathroom.

"You'll have to excuse Bethy," her sister Maggie said. "She's young and boy crazy; I hope she didn't harass you too much."

"No," Matthew answered. "I guess I'm young and boy crazy too."

**************************************************************************************************************************************

The next morning, Daryl, Matthew, and Glenn were helping Merle get ready for his wedding. Merle had shown up, knocking on their motel room door at six o'clock; an hour before the alarm was scheduled to go off. Matthew rolled over on his side to face Daryl. "I'll get it," he said and leaned over to kiss his boyfriend. Daryl held him by the back of the head and kissed the living shit out of him. 

"Now you can let my asshole brother in," he said after ending the kiss. Matthew got out of bed and answered the door in all his natural glory.

"Good God boy! Cover your dick!" Merle yelled as he burst into the room. 

Daryl and Matthew burst out laughing. "Ah Merle. Don't be like that," the young man said.

"Yeah Merle. Don't be jealous," Daryl added. 

"I ain't jealous; Andrea's more than happy with what I got."

Matthew snickered. "If genetics has anything to do with it, I imagine she's very happy." Daryl blushed and threw him some clothes from the bag. "I'm gonna take a shower; won't be long." Once he was in the bathroom, Merle made himself comfortable.

"I thought we'd have breakfast together after we pick up Glenn. Andrea and the girls are already at the beauty shop getting their hair and nails done." 

"You doing alright? You nervous?" Daryl asked him.

"Ya know, I thought I'd be shaking in my boots, but I'm pretty calm about the whole thing. I've never been so sure of any decision in my life." 

"I'm glad Merle; you deserve a woman like her. She's beautiful and smart, and she keeps your ass in line. I'm just glad that ain't my job anymore."

"Speaking of keeping your ass in line; you gonna go through with it"

Daryl exhaled and looked down at the floor. "Yeah, I'm gonna do it. During the reception probably; don't want to steal your thunder."

"That would be impossible, baby brother. I'm the goddamn god of thunder. You steal mine, it's because I let you." Just then, the brothers heard the shower shut off and Daryl went to get his own clothes out of the duffle bag. 

"Shut the hell up Mere. Your hammer is as big as mine."

**************************************************************************************************************************************

The girls were already there when the men arrived at the church, and Beth was standing at the end of the hall talking to Amy and completely ignored the men when they came by. Of course it didn't take long for them to get ready; Glenn ended up tying everyone's ties and Daryl gave Merle a pep talk, even though he didn't need it. 

The ceremony went off without a hitch; Andrea looked beautiful in her sleek A-line dress and tiara. Even the bridesmaids looked good in their periwinkle, spaghetti strap, ankle length dresses. Daryl was so proud of his brother and beamed with happiness watching him commit to the woman he loved. He understood how Merle felt; he knew what love was now, and he was no longer embarrassed by who he was or who he loved, and anyone who didn't already know would definitely be aware by the end of the night.

The reception was held at an old turn of the century train station that had been converted into an upscale hotel. The first thirty minutes were spent posing for the photographer; Daryl made sure he took pictures of him and Matthew by themselves, along with those he took of Matthew and Merle, showing off the garter the young man had caught.

The reception was catered by the hotel and everyone pigged out on bar-b-que; Daryl and Matthew were introduced to Andrea's family and Merle's friends from work. Everyone had a great time dancing and laughing. Every slow song that played Daryl and Matthew were out on the dance floor, showing everyone they were together and in love; they stole kisses and touches and didn't give a fuck who saw them.

When things started to die down, and the sun was setting, the two men took a walk through the hotel and ended up at an indoor garden. They walked around, holding hands, but didn't say much. Daryl braced himself and while standing in a small rose garden, he stopped walking and looked into Matthew's eyes. "Are you having a good time?" he asked the young man.

"You honestly can't tell that I have never had this much fun in my life? I've never been to a wedding, and being here with you has made it better than I thought it would be." He stepped closer to Daryl and put his arms around the man's neck; threading his fingers through Daryl's long hair, he brought their lips together in a lingering kiss.

"You are, and will always be the most precious thing in my life.” Daryl whispered. “I love you more than anything in this universe; you're smart, kind, thoughtful, and worth more than all the gold in the world. You pretty damn hot too." They smiled at each other and Daryl put his hand in his pocket. "I want to spend the rest of my life with you, and grow old with you." Holding Matthew's left hand, he crouched down on one knee. "Will you marry me precious?"

Daryl pulled out a titanium band from his pocket and held it in his palm. "Oh God, Daryl. Yes! Yes! I can't believe this. Of course I'll marry you. God, I love you so much." Daryl slipped the ring on the young man's finger and stood up. They embraced each other tightly and tears sat at the corner of Matthew's eyes. "I never thought I'd ever know what love was, and then I got caught in a rabbit trap. There aren't words to express how good you make me feel. You changed my life and I don't know of a better way to spend the rest of it than with you."

They stood there in each other's arms and kissed passionately; lips and tongues lavishing each other. When they parted, Matthew brought his hand up to look at the ring that proclaimed Daryl's love. "Are we going to make an announcement?" 

"Of course," Daryl said as he cradled Matthew's cheek in his palm. "I'm proud of who I am, and I'm proud of the man I love. Everyone in the world is gonna know that we belong together."

 

  
The End


End file.
